Page:Thea von Harbou Metropolis eng 1927.pdf/163

 METROPOLIS and the head which was sunken on its chest, crooked legs rested. gnome~like, upon the platform. The trunk and legs were motionless. But the short arms pushed and pushed and pushed, alternately forwards, backwards, forwards. And the machine was quite abandoned. Nobody was watch-

ing it. Nobody's band held the lever. Nohody's gaze was fixed on the clock, the hands of which chased through the grades as though gone mad. "Father-II" shouted Freder, about to hurl himself forward. But at the same moment it was as if the hunched up body of the wild machine, which was like Ganesha, raised itself up to a furious height, as though its legs stretched themselves upon stumpy feet, to make a murderous leap, as though its arms no longer stretched themselves to push-no, to seize. to seize to crush-as though the howling voice of the New Tower of Babel broke from the lungs of the Pater-noster machine alone, howling:

"Murder-I" And howling unceasingly: "Murder-I" The Hame cwtain of the door flew sideways, whistling. The monster-machine rolled itself down from the platform with pushing arms. The whole structure of the New Tower of Babel quivered. The walls shook. The ceiling groaned. Freder turned around. He threw his arms about his neck and ran. He saw the luminous pillars stabbing at him. He heard a rattling gasp at his back and felt the marrow dry up, and ran and ran. He ran towards doors., pushed them open, slammed them to behind him and raced onwards. "Father-II" he shouted-and with a feeling as if his brain were overtwning: "Our Father, Which art in heaven-" Upstairs. Where did these stairs lead to-? Doors thundered open, rebounding against walls. Aaah-I The temples of the machine-rooms? Deities, the machines-the shining Lords-the god-machines of Metropolis! All the great gods were living in white temples! Baal and Moloch and Huitzilopochtli and Durgha! Some frightfully companionable, some terribly solitary, There-Juggernaut's

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