Page:Thea von Harbou Metropolis eng 1927.pdf/141

 METROPOLIS the earth. I have listened to you praying to God, and have cursed God because he did not hear you. I have intoxicated myself with your helplessness. Your pitiful weeping has made me dronken. When you sobbed the name of your Beloved, I thought 1 must die, and reeled. . . And thus, as one intoxicated, 8!:' one drunken, as one reeling, I became a thief of you, Maria, I created you anew-I became your second Godl 1 have stolen you absolutelyl In the name of Job Fredersen. the Master over the great Metropolis, have I stolen your ego from you, Maria. And this stolen ego-your other self-sent a message to your brothers. calling them by night into the City of the Dead-and they all came. When you spoke to them before, you spoke for Peace. . . but Joh Fredersen does not want Peace any more-do you see?He wants the decisionl The hour has cornel Your stolen ego may not speak for Peace any more. The mouth of Joh Fredersen ~peaks from out it. . . And among your brothers there will be one who loves you and who will not realizewho will not doubt you, Maria ... Only just give me your hands, Maria-only your hands, no more ... I do not ask for more. .. y~ur hands must be wondrous. Pardon is the name

of the right, Redemption of the left. . . If you give me your hands I will go with you into the City of the Dead, so that you can warn your brothers, so that you can unmask your stolen ·ego-so that the one who loves you finds you again and does not have to doubt you. . . Did you say anything, Maria?" He heard the soft, soft weeping of the girl. He fell, where he stood, upon his knees. He wanted to drag himself along on his knees to the girl. And suddenly stopped still. He listened. He stared. He said in a voice which was ahnost like a shriek, in its wide-awake attention: "~aria ... ? Mari.~-don·t you hear. .. ? There's a strange man m the room. . . ' . ~es," said tbe quiet voice of Joh Fredersen. And then the hands of Joh Fredersen seized the throat of Rotwang, the great inventor ...

146