Page:Thea von Harbou Metropolis eng 1927.pdf/148

 M.ETROPOLrs "r-" said Georgi, turning his head to the wall-"r am not going to answer any more questions... :'

Freder let go of Georgi's hand. He began to run up the stairs. Night embraced him-the night of Metropolis-this light-mad, drunken night.... Everything was still the same as usual. Nothing indicated the storm which was to break out from inside the earth, under: Metropolis, to murder the Ulachine~city. But it seemed to Joh Fredersen"s son as if the stones were

giving way under his feet-as though he heard in the air the rushing of wings-the rushing of the wipgs of strange monsters: beings with women's bodies and snakes' headsbeings, half bull, half angel-devils adorned with crownshuman faced lions....

It seemed to him as if he saw death sitting on the New Tower of Babel, in hat and wide cloak, whetting his propped up scythe.... He reached the New Tower of Babel. Everything was as usual. The Dawn was fighting the Drst fight with the Early Morning. He looked for his father. He did not find him. Nobody could say where Joh Fredersen had gone at midnight. The Brain-pan of the New Tower of Babel was empty. Freder wiped from his brow the sweat which was running in drops over his temples.

"r must find my father-I" he said. "r must call himcost what it mayl" Men, with servants eyes looked at him. Men who knew notWng apart from blind obedience-who could not advise,

still less help.... Joh Fredersen's son stepped into Ws father's place, at the table where his great father used to sit. He was as white as the silk which he wore as he 6tretched out his hand and pressed his fingers on the little blue metal place, which no man ever touched apart from Joh Fredersen. . . . Then the great Metropolis began J:o roar. Then she raised her voice-her Behemoth-voice. But she was not screaming for food-no, she was roaring: Danger.•• ./ 153

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