but Harry!

(Knock at the door.

Enter Busman, Dr. Gall and Hallemeier wearing cook’s aprons.

Enter Fabry with flowers and Alquist with serviette under arm)

Domin Everything finished in the kitchen?

Busman (triumphant) Yes.

Domin Here too.

Act One

 

(Helena’s living room. Stage left, wallpapered door to music room, right, door to bedroom. Centre, window overlooking sea and harbour. Dressing table with sundry items, table, settee and armchair, chest o’drawers, desk with standard lamp, fireplace to the right, also with standard lamp. Whole room, in detail, of modern and purely feminine character)

(enter Domin, Fabry, Hallemeier from left on tiptoe carrying armfuls of plants and flowers)

Fabry Where do you think we should put them?

Hallemeier Ouf! (puts down load and gives blessing in a large cross at the door, stage right) She’s asleep, asleep! She who sleeps knows nothing.

Domin She doesn’t know a thing.

Fabry (puts flowers in vase) Let’s hope, at least, today’s not the day it happens...

Hallemeier (likewise puts flowers in vase) Oh don’t keep on about it, for God’s sake! Look at this, Harry, this cyclamen is beautiful. A new species, my latest one-Cyclamen Helenae.

Domin (looking out of window) No ships, no ships-it’s hopeless, lads, we’ve had it.

Hallemeier Quiet! What if she hears you?

Domin She doesn’t know a thing. (Yawns, as if ill) At least the Ultimus docked on time.

Fabry (leaving the flowers) Do you think it might be today when...?

Domin I don’t know. These flowers are lovely.

Hallemeier (approaching him) This primula is one of my new ones, and this is my new jasmine. In fact I’m right on the threshold of a whole new Garden of Paradise full of new flowers. I’ve found a wonderful new way to accelerate development, and all sorts of new species! Next year I’ll be performing real miracles with flowers!

Domin (turning) Next year?

Fabry Well, let’s see what happens, anyway. Any news from Le Havre?

Domin Quiet!

(Helena’s voice off, right) Nana!

Domin Everybody out! (everyone leaves on tiptoe through the wallpapered door)

(enter Nana through main door, left)

Nana (tidying up) Cor, wha’ a mess! What a bunch of ‘eathens! God forgive me if I don’t...

Helena (back to stage, in doorway) Nana, come and zip me up.

Nana Alrigh’, comin, comin. (zips up Helena’s dress) God almighty, they’re a bunch of animals!

Helena The robots?

Nana Give over, I don’t even wanna say the word.

Helena What’s happened?

Nana They caught another another of them. Started smashing up all the moulds and models he did, grinding ‘is teeth and foamin’ at the mouth-just went crazy. Ugh! Worse than animals, they are.

Helena Which one was it they caught?

Nana That, that... Christ!, it ‘asn’even got a proper Christian name! That one in the library.

Helena Radius?

Nana Yeh, that’s the one. God, they make me sick! Not even a spider I don’t hate as much as I hate them heathens.

Helena Don’t you even feel sorry for them Nana?

Nana Well you hate them, and all. What d’you bring me right out here for anyway? And why can’t any of them even touch you?

Helena I don’t hate them, Nana, not at all, I just feel so sorry for them!

Nana You hate them. Everyone hates them, it isn’t possible not to. Even this dog hates them, won’t take a scrap of meat from them; sticks out his tail, he does, and howls as soon as he gets the smell of them.

Helena A dog doesn’t have reason.

Nana He’s better than what they are, Helena. He knows perfectly well it was God what made him and that he’s better than they are. Even the horse takes fright when he comes across one of those heathens. They don’t have children, but even a dog has children, everyone has children.

Helena Nana, do me up here, please.

Nana Alright. It’s against the will of God, that’s what I say; work of the Devil, itis, making scarecrows like that with machines. It’s blasphemy against the Creator, (raises hands) it’s an offence against the Lord who made us in His own image, Helena. And you’ve dishonoured the image of God, that’s what you’ve done. You’ll suffer a terrible punishment from God for that, you will, just you remember that, a terrible punishment.

Helena What’s that nice smell?

Nana Flowers. The master put them here.

Helena Oh, they’re lovely! Nana, come and look! What day is it today?

Nana I don’t know. Must be the Day of Judgement, I should think.

(knock at door)

Helena Harry?

(enter Domin)

Helena Harry, what day is it today?

Domin Guess!

Helena My name-day? No! My birthday?

Domin Better than that.

Helena I don’t know. Tell me, tell me!

Domin It was ten years ago today that you arrived here.

Helena Ten years, already? On this day?-Nana, please...

Nana Alright, I’m comin! (exit right)

Helena (kisses Domin) And you remembered it!

Domin Actually, I’m ashamed to say, I didn’t remember.

Helena But...

Domin It was them who remembered.

Helena Who?

Domin Busman, Hallemeier, all of them. Reach into my pocket, here, will you?

Helena (puts hand into his pocket) What is it? (takes out case and opens it) Pearls! A whole necklace of them! Harry, is that for me?

Domin That’s from Busman.

Helena But... we can’t accept it, can we?

Domin Course we can. Reach into my other pocket.

Helena Let me see! (takes revolver out of pocket) What’s this?

Domin Oh, sorry. (takes revolver from her and puts it away) That’s not it. Try again.

Helena Oh, Harry-why are you carrying a revolver round with you?

Domin Well, I just am, it got in there somehow

Helena You never used to carry a gun!

Domin No, you’re quite right. Here’s the pocket, look..

Helena (reaching in) A little box! (opens it) Cameos! And they’re... Harry, they’re Greek cameos!

Domin Clearly. At least that’s what Fabry says.

Helena Fabry? It’s Fabry who gave me these?

Domin Course it is. (opens door, left) And look at this, Helena, come over here and have a look!

Helena (at the door) God, that’s so beautiful! (runs on) I’ll go mad with happiness! Is that from you?

Domin (standing at door) No, that’s from Alquist. And this...

Helena From Gall! (appears in the doorway) Oh, Harry, I’m so happy I should be ashamed of myself.

Domin Come here. This is what Hallemeier got you.

Helena These lovely flowers?

Domin This one. It’s a new species, Cyclamen Helenae. He developed it in honour of you. It’s as beautiful as you are.

Helena Harry, why... why did they all...

Domin Because they’re very fond of you. And I got you... er.. I’m afraid my present might be a bit... er... come and look out the window.

Helena Where?

Domin Down in the harbour.

Helena There’s... there’s a new boat down there!

Domin That’s your boat.

Helena Mine? Harry, that’s a gunboat!

Domin A gunboat? What makes you think that? It’s just a bit bigger, that’s all, a good solid boat, see?

Helena Yes, and fitted with cannons!

Domin Well, its got some cannons, course it has... you’ll travel like a queen, Helena.

Helena Why a gunboat? Is there something wrong?

Domin God forbid! Look, try these pearls on! (sits)

Helena Harry, has there been some kind of bad news?

Domin On the contrary-there hasn’t been any post at all for a week.

Helena Not even a fax?

Domin Not even a fax.

Helena And what should we make of that?

Domin Nothing. It means we’re on holiday. A wonderful time. We all just sit in the office, put our feet on the desk and do nothing. No post, no telegrams (stretching himself out) Wonderful!

Helena (sitting beside him) You’re staying with me today, aren’t you. Tell me you are!

Domin Yes, that’s quite certain. Well, I expect so. We’ll see. (takes her hand) Ten years to the day. Do you remember? Miss Glory, what an honour it is for us that you’ve come.

Helena Oh, Mister Managing Director, I’m so interested in you factory!

Domin I beg your pardon, Miss Glory, you see it is strictly forbidden to... you see making artificial people is a very secret process...

Helena But what if it’s girl who’s asking who’s slightly pretty....

Domin But of course, Miss Glory, we have no secrets from you.

Helena (suddenly serious) Are you sure about that, Harry?

Domin No.

Helena (again in earlier tone) But do be careful, sir; this little girl has frightful intentions

Domin Good heavens, Miss Glory, what could that be? Are you thinking of getting married?

Helena No, no, God forbid! Not in my wildest dreams! I’ve come here with plans to start a revolution among your horrible robots!

Domin (jumping up) A robot revolution?!

Helena (standing) Harry, what’s wrong?

Domin Haha, Miss Glory, you’ll never manage that! A robot revolution! You might more easily start a revolution among the nails and bobbins in the spinning mill than among our robots! (sitting) You were a wonderful girl, you know, Helena, you enchanted all of us.

Helena (sitting beside him) But I felt so daunted by all of you in those days! I felt like a little girl who’d got lost among... among...

Domin Among what, Helena?

Helena Among enormous trees. You were so confident, so powerful! And you know, Harry, even after these ten years I’ve never lost that feeling of... that anxiety or something. And did younever have any doubts? Not even when everything was going wrong?

Domin What was going wrong?

Helena Your plans, Harry. When there was that uprising against the robots by the workers and they started smashing them, and the robots were given weapons to defend themselves and the robots killed so many people. Or when governments started turning robots into soldiers and there was so much war, and all of that. You know.

Domin (stands and walks up and down) We were expecting that to happen, Helena. Don’t you see, that was just a transitional stage before things would be... different.

Helena All the world admired you-(standing) Oh, Harry!

Domin What do you want?

Helena (stops him) Shut down the factory and let’s go away somewhere. All of us!

Domin Now what’s that got to do with it?

Helena I don’t know. How about it, shall we go? There’s something making me feel so uneasy.

Domin (takes her hand) What?

Helena Oh, I don’t know! It’s as if there’s something about to fall down on us and everything around us, something that can’t be taken off again. Please Harry, let’s do it! Let’s just get away from here, all of us! Let’s find somewhere where there are no people, Alquist can build a house for us, everyone can get married and have children, and then...

Domin What then?

Helena Then we can start all over again.

(telephone rings)

Domin (pulls himself away) Helena, excuse me. (picks up receiver) Hello... yes.... What?.... aha.... I’ll be right there. (hangs up) That was Fabry.

Helena (wringing hands) Tell me...

Domin Yes, as soon as I get back. I’ll see you later. (rushes out, left) Don’t go outside!

Helena (alone) Oh, my God, what’s happening? Nana, Nana, come quickly!

Nana (enters right) Yes, what is it now?

Helena Nana, get me the latest papers! Quick! They’re in the master’s bedroom!

Nana Alrigh’. (exit left)

Helena What’s going on, for God’s sake? Nothing, they never tell me anything! (takes binoculars and looks at harbour) That’s a warship! My God, what’s a warship doing there? And what’s that they’re loading onto it, and in such a hurry? What’s happened? That name on it;’Ul-ti-mus-‘What’s that supposed to mean-‘Ultimus’?

Nana (returns with papers) Lying about all over the show, they were, all crumpled and screwed up.

Helena (hurriedly opens papers) They’re old, these are already a week old! Nothing, they’ve got nothing in them. (drops paper)

(Nana picks up paper, takes horn-rimmed glasses from apron, sits down and reads)

Helena There’s something going on, Nana! I’m so worried! It’s as if everything were dead, even the air...

Nana (syllable by syllable) “War in the Balkans.” Oh Jesus, it’s God, He’s punishing us again! And they’re gonna come here with their armies and all! How far away’s that, then?

Helena It’s a long way away. Oh don’t read that, it’s always the same, always the same wars and....

Nana Well of course it’s always about wars! What d’you expect if they keep selling thousands and thousands of them heathens to make them into soldiers? Oh, Jesus Christ, what a mess!

Helena Just stop reading them, will you! I don’t want to hear about it.

Nana (syllable by syllable) “Ro-bot sol-diers show no mer-cy to lo-cal pop-... pop-u-la-tion. More than sev-en hund-red thou-sand mass-a-cred” Here, that’s people, Helena!

Helena That can’t be right! Let me see...