Metropolis

by Thea von Harbou

  "I am mad, Josaphat," said Freder. "But-I don't know if it is any consolation—! am not the only one… "

  Josaphat was silent. His patient hand lay motionless on Freder's shoulder.

  And suddenly, as though his soul were an over-filled vessel, which had lost its balance, toppled over and poured out in streams, Freder began to speak. He told his friend the story of Maria, from the moment of their first meeting in the "Club of Sons," to when they saw each other again right down under the earth in the City of the Dead—his waiting for her in the cathedral, his experiences in Rotwang's house, his vain search, the curt "no" at Maria's home, up to the moment when, for her sake, he wanted to be the murderer of his own father—no, not for her sake: for that of a being who was not there, whom he only believed himself to see…

  "Was that not madness—?"

  "Hallucination, Mr. Freder… "

  "Hallucination—? I will tell you some more about hallucination, Josaphat, and you mustn't believe that I am speaking in delirium or that I am not fully master of my thoughts. I wanted to kill my father… It was not my fault that the attempt at parricide was unsuccessful… But ever since that moment I have not been human… I am a creature that has no feet, no hands and hardly a head. And this head is only there eternally to think that I wanted to kill my own father. Do you believe that I shall ever get free from this hell—? Never, Josaphat. Never—never in all eternity. I lay during the night hearing my father walking up and down in the next room. I lay in the depths of a black pit; but my thoughts ran along behind my father's steps, as though chained to his soles. What horror has come upon the world that this could happen? Is there a comet in the heavens which drives mankind to madness? Is a fresh plague coming, or Anti-Christ? Or the end of the world? A woman, who does not exist, forces herself between father and son and incites the son to murder against the father… It may be that my thoughts were running themselves a little hot at the time… Then my father came in to me… "

  He stopped and his wasted hands twisted themselves together upon his damp hair.

  "You know my father. There are many in the great Metropolis who do not believe Joh. Fredersen to be human, because he seems not to need to eat and drink and he sleeps when he wishes to; and usually he does not wish to… They call him The Brain of Metropolis, and if it is true that fear is the source of all religion then the brain of Metropolis is not very far off from becoming a deity… This man, who is my father came up to my bed… He walked on tiptoe, Josaphat. He bent over me and held his breath… My eyes were shut. I lay quite still and it seemed to me as though my father must hear my soul crying within me. Then I loved him more than anything on earth. But if my life had been dependent on it, I should still not have been able to open my eyes. I felt my father's hand smoothing my pillow. Then he went again as he had come, on tip-toe, closing the door quiet soundlessly behind him. Do you know what he had done?"

  "No… ."

  "No… I don't see how you could. I only realised it myself some hours later… For the first time since the great Metropolis had stood, Joh Fredersen had omitted to press on the little blue metal plate and to let the Behemoth-voice of Metropolis roar out, because he did not wish to disturb his son's sleep… "

  Josaphat lowered his head; he said nothing. Freder let his intertwined hands sink.

  "Then I realised," he continued, "that my father had quite forgiven me… And when I realised that, I really fell asleep… "

  He stood up and remained standing, seeming to be listening to the rushing of the rain. The lightning was still flashing out over Metropolis, the angry thunder bounding after. But the rushing of the rain drowned it.

  "I slept… " Freder went on—so softly that the other could scarcely follow his words—"then I began to dream… I saw this city—this great Metropolis—In the light of a ghostly unreality. A weird moon stood in the sky; as though along a broad street this ghostly, unreal light flowed down upon the city, which was deserted to the last soul. All the houses were distorted and had faces. They squinted evilly and spitefully down at me, for I was walking deep down between them, along the glimmering street.

  "Quite narrow was this street, as though crushed between the houses; it was as though made of a greenish glass—like a solidified, glazen river. I glided along it and looked down; through it into the cold bubbling of a subterranean fire.

  "I did not know my destination, but I knew I had one, and went very fast in order to reach it the sooner. I quietened my step as well as I could, but its sound was excessively loud and awakened a rustling whisper over the crooked house-walls as though the houses were murmuring against me. I quickened my pace and ran, and, at last, raced along, and the more swiftly I raced the more hoarsely did the echo of the steps sound after me, as though there were an army at my heels. I was dripping with sweat…

  "The town was alive. The houses were alive. Their open mouths snarled after me. The window-caverns, open eyes, winked blindly, horribly, maliciously.

  "Graspingly, I reached the square before the cathedral… .

  "The cathedral was lighted up. The doors stood open-no, they did not stand open. They reeled to and fro like swing doors through which an invisible stream of guests was passing. The organ rolled, but not with music. Croaking, bawling, screeching and whimpering sounded from the organ and intermingled were wanton dance tunes, wailing whore-songs."

  "The swing-doors, the light, the organ's witches sabbath, everything appeared to be mysteriously excited, hurried, as though there were no time to be lost, and full of a deep evil satisfaction."

  "I walked over to the cathedral and up the steps. A door laid hold of me, like an arm, and wafted me gustily in the cathedral.

  "But that was as little the cathedral as the town was Metropolis. A pack of lunatics seemed to have taken possession of it, and not even human beings, at that. Dwarf—Like creatures, resembling half monkey, half devil. In place of the saints, goat—Like figures, petrified in the most ridiculous of leaps, reigned in the pillar niches. And around every pillar danced a ring, raving to the bawling of the music.

  "Empty, ungodded, splintered, hung the crucifix above the high altar, from which the holy vessels had vanished."

  "A fellow, dressed in black, the caricature of a monk, stood in the pulpit, howling out in a pulpit-voice:"

  "Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand!'

  "A loud neigh answered him."

  "The organ-player—! saw him, he was like a demon-stood with his hands and feet on the keys and his head beat time to the ring-dance of the spirits."

  "The fellow in the pulpit pulled out a book, an enormous, black book with seven locks. Whenever his fingers touched a lock it sprang up in flame and shot open."

  "Murmuring incantations, he opened the cover. He bent over the book. A ring of flames suddenly stood around his head."

  "From the heights of the cathedral it struck midnight. But it was as though it was not enough for the clock to proclaim the hour of demons just once. Over and over again did it strike the ghastly twelve, in dreadful, baited haste."

  "The light in the cathedral changed colour. Were it possible to speak of a blackish light this would be the expression best applied to the light. Only in one place did it shine, white, gleaming, cutting, a sharply whetted sword: there where death is figured as a minstrel."

  "Suddenly the organ stopped, and suddenly the dance. The voice of the preacher-fellow in the pulpit stopped. And through the silence which did not dare to breathe rang the sound of a flute. Death was playing. The minstrel was playing the song which nobody plays after him, on his flute which was a human bone.

  "The ghostly minstrel stepped from out his side-niche, carved in wood, in hat and wide cloak, scythe on shoulder, the hour-glass dangling from his girdle. Playing his flute, he stepped out of his niche and made his way through the cathedral. And behind him came the seven Deadly Sins as the following of Death."

  "Death performed a circle around every pillar. Louder and ever louder rang the sound of his flu
te. The seven Deadly Sins seized hands. As a widely swung chain they paced behind Death; and gradually their paces became a light dance."

  "The seven Deadly Sins danced along behind Death, who was playing the flute."

  "Then the cathedral was filled with a light which seemed to be made from rose-leaves. An inexpressibly sweet, overpowering perfume hovered up', like incense, between the pillars. The light grew stronger and it seemed to ring. Pale red lightning flashed from the heights collecting itself in the central nave, to the magnificent radiance of a crown."

  "The crown rested on the head of a woman. And the woman was sitting upon a scarlet-coloured beast, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and decked with gold, precious stones and pearls. She had in her hand a golden cup. On the crowned brow of the woman there stood, mysteriously written: Babylon."

  "Like a deity, she grew up and radiated. Death and the seven Deadly Sins bowed low before her."

  "And the woman who bore the name Babylon had the features of Maria, whom I loved… "

  "The woman arose. She touched the cross-arched vault of the lofty cathedral with her crown. She seized the hem of her cloak and opened it. And spread out her cloak with both hands… Then one saw that the golden cloak was embroidered with the images of manifold demons. Beings with women's bodies and snakes' heads—beings half bull, half angel—devils adorned with crowns, human faced lions."

  "The flute song of Death was silenced. But the fellow in the pulpit raised his yelling voice:"

  "Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

  "The church-clock was still hammering the wild twelve-time of midnight"

  "The woman looked Death in the face. She opened her mouth. She said to Death: 'Go!'"

  "Then Death hung the flute on his girdle, by the hourglass, took the scythe down from his shoulder and went. He went through the cathedral and went out of the cathedral."

  And from the cloak of the great Babylon, the demons freed themselves, come to life, and flew after Death.

  "Death went down the steps of the cathedral, into the town; black birds with human faces rustling around him. He raised the scythe as if indicating the way. Then they divided themselves and swooped apart. The broad wings darkened the moon."

  "Death flung back his wide cloak. He stretched himself up and grew. He grew much taller even than the houses of Metropolis. The highest hardly reached to his knee."

  "Death swung his scythe and made a whistling cut. The earth and all the stars quivered. But the scythe did not seem to be sharp enough for him. He looked about him as though seeking a seat. The New Tower of Babel seemed to suit Death. He sat down on the New Tower of Babel, propped up the scythe took the whet-stone from his girdle, spat on it and began to whet the scythe Blue sparks flew out of the steel. Then Death arose and made a second blow. A rain of stars poured down from the sky."

  "Death nodded with satisfaction, turned around and set off, on his way through the great Metropolis."

  Chapter 11

  "YES," SAID JOSAPHAT hoarsely, "but that was a dream… "

  "Of course it was a dream… And they say dreams are bubbles, don't they? But just listen to this, Josaphat… I emerged from this dream back into reality with a feeling of sadness, which seemed to hack me, as with a knife, from head to foot. I saw Maria's brow, that white temple of goodness and virginity, besmirched with the name of the great harlot of Babylon. I saw her send Death out over the city. I saw how abominations upon abominations loosened themselves from about her and fluttered away, swarming through the city—plague spirits, messengers of evil before the path of Death. I stood out there and looked over at the cathedral, which seemed to me to be desecrated and soiled. Its doors stood open. Dark, human snakes were creeping into the cathedral, and collecting themselves upon the steps. I thought: Perhaps, among all those pious people, is my Maria too… I said to my father: 'I wish to go to the cathedral… ' He let me go. I was no captive. As I reached the cathedral the organ was thundering like the Trump of Doom. Singing from a thousand throats. Dies Irae… The incense clouded above the head of the multitude, which was kneeling before the eternal God. The crucifix hovered above the high altar, and, in the light of the restless candles, the drops of blood on the thorn-crowned brow of the son of Mary seemed to come to hie, to run. The saints in the pillar-niches looked at me sadly, as though they knew of my evil dream.

  "I sought Maria. Oh, I knew quite well that all the thousands could not hide her from me. If she were here I should find her out, as a bird finds its way to its nest. But my heart lay as if dead in my breast. Yet I could not help looking for her. I wandered about the place where I had already waited for her once before… Yes—so may a bird wander about the place where was its nest which it cannot find again, because the lightning or the storm has destroyed it.

  "And, when I came to the side-niche, in which Death stands, as a minstrel, playing upon a human bone, the niche was empty, Death had disappeared…

  "It was as though the Death of my dream had not returned home to his following…

  "Do not speak, Josaphat! It is really of no importance… a coincidence… The carving was, perhaps, damaged—I do not know! Believe me: it is of no importance.

  "But now a voice yelled out:

  "'Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand!'

  "It was the voice of Desertus, the monk. His voice was like a knife. The voice peeled bare my spine. Deathly stillness reigned in the church. Among all the thousands round about, not one seemed to breathe They were kneeling and their faces, pale masks of horror, were turned towards the preacher.

  "His voice flew through the air like a spear."

  "'Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand!' Before me, by a pillar, stood a young man, once a fellow member of mine, of the 'Club of the Sons.' If I had not personally experienced how vastly human faces can change, in a short time, I should not have recognised him."

  "He was older than I, and was, it is true, not the happiest of us all, but the gayest. And the women loved him and feared him equally, for he was in no way to be captivated, either by laughter or by tears. Now he had the thousand-year-old face of men, who, yet living, are dead. It was as if a cruel executioner had removed his eyelids, that he was condemned never to sleep, so that he was perishing of weariness."

  "But it surprised me more than all to find him here, in the cathedral, for he had been, all his life long, the greatest of scoffers."

  "I laid my hand on his shoulder. He did not start. He only just turned his eyes—those parched eyes."

  "I wanted to ask him: 'What are you doing here, Jan?' But the voice of the monk, that awful, spear-hurling voice, threw its sharpness between him and me… The monk Desertus began to preach… "

  Freder turned around and came to Josaphat with violent haste, as though a sudden fear had taken him. He sat down by his friend, speaking very rapidly, with words which tumbled over each other in streaming out.

  At first he had hardly listened to the monk. He had watched his friend, and the congregation which was still kneeling, head pressed to head. And, as he looked at them, it seemed to him as though the monk were harpooning the congregation with his words, as though he were throwing spears, with deadly, barbed hooks, right down into the most secret soul of the listeners, as though he were tugging groaning souls out of bodies, quivering with fear.

  "Who is she, who has laid fire to this city? She is herself a flame—an impure flame. You were given of a brand, might. She is a fiery blaze over man. She is Lilith, Astarte, Rose of Hell. She is Gomorrha, Babylon—Metropolis! Your own city—this fruitful, sinful City!—has born this woman from out the womb of its hell. Behold her! I say unto you: Behold her! She is the woman who is to appear before the judgment of the world."

  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

  "Seven angels shall stand before God, and there shall be given unto them seven trumpets. And the seven angels, which have the seven trumpets, shall prepare themselves to sound. A star shall
fall from heaven to earth and there shall be given up the key to the pit of the abyss. And it shall open the pit of the abyss and there shall go up a smoke out of the pit as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air shall be darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. And an angel shall fly in mid heaven, saying with a great voice: 'Woe, woe, woe, for them that dwell on the earth!' And another angel shall follow after him and shall say: 'Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great!'"

  "Seven angels come out from the heavens, and they hear in their hands the bowls of the wrath of God. And Babylon the great will be remembered in the sight of God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath—she who is sitting there upon a scarlet-coloured beast full of the names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman is arrayed in purple and scarlet, decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and unclean things. And upon her forehead a name is written: Mystery… Babylon the Great… The Mother of Harlots and of the Abominations of the Earth."

  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear! For the woman whom ye see is the great city, which reignest over the kings of the earth. Come forth, my people, out of her, that he have no fellowship with her sins! For her sins have reached even unto heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities!

  "Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour is thy judgment come! In one hour shalt thou be made desolate. Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye saints, and ye apostles; for God will judge your judgment on her. And a strong angel takes up a stone and casts it into the sea, saying: Thus with a mighty fall, shall Babylon the great city be cast down, and shall be found no more at all!"

  "He who has ears to hear, let him hear! The woman who is called Babylon, the Mother of the Abominations of the Earth, wanders as a blazing brand through Metropolis. No wall and no gate bids her halt. No tie is sacred. An oath turns to mockery before her. Her smile is the last seduction. Blasphemy is her dance. She is the flame which says: 'God is very wrath.' Woe unto the city in which she shall appear!" Freder bent across to Jan.