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THE MAKROPOULOS SECRET

Vitek, it’s absurd. Our social system is founded on shortness of life. Take-contracts, mortgages, debts and all. No one will make a contract for three hundred years! And marriage—Why, nobody is going to stay married for three hundred years! Man, you’re an anarchist. You want to revise the entire social system.

And—pardon—then after three hundred years each could make himself young again—

—And live forever. [To Vitek] Don’t you see?

Yes, but it could be forbidden. At the end of three hundred years, everyone would have to die!

Will you listen to him! Now he wants to forbid people living!

[To Kolonaty]

Pardon me, but I—I think that the secret could be distributed for a stipulation.

How’s that?