Page:Thea von Harbou Metropolis eng 1927.pdf/105

 METROPOLIS Jet the girl go. He covered her with the might of his shoulders, with the great cranium, flamed with blood. and in which the strong teeth and the invincible eyes were very visible.

But Freder did not see his father. He only saw an ob-' stacle hetween him and the girl. He rushed at the ohstacle. It pushed him hack. Scarlet hatred for the obstacle choked him. His eyes Hew around. They sought an implement-an implement which could be used as a battering ram. He found none. Then he threw bim~ seH toward as a battering ram. His nngers clutched into stuff.

He bit into the stuff. He heard his own breath like a whistle, very high and shrill. Yet within him there was only one sound, only One cry: "Maria-I" Groaningly, beseechinglyf "Maria-II" A man dreaming of hell shrieks out no more, in his torment,

than did he. And still, between him and the girl, the man, the lump of rock, the living wall. ...

He threw his bands forward. Ab. . . . look!. . . . there was a throat! He seized the throat. His fingers snapped fast like iron fangs.

"Why don't you defend yourself?" he yelled, staring at the man.

"I'll kill you-I I'll take your life-I I'll murder you,-'" But the man before him held his ground while he throttled him. Thrown this way and that by Freder's fury, the body bent, now to the right, now to the left. And as often as this happened Freder saw. as through a transparent mist, the smiling countenance of Maria, who, leaning against the table, was looking on with her sea water eyes at the fight between father and son. His father's voice said: "Freder. .. .n He looked the man in the face. He saw his father. He saw the hands which were clawing around his father's throat. They were his, were the hands of his son.

His hands fell loose, as. though cut off. . .. he stared at his hands, stammering something which sounded half like

an oath, half like the weeping of a child that believes itself to be alone in the world.

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