_Night. A small house occupied by the German staff. A sentinel
on guard at the door leading to the rooms occupied by the
Commander of the army. All the doors and windows are open. The
room is illuminated with candles. Two officers on duty are
talking lazily, suffering apparently from the heat. All is quiet
in the camp. Only from time to time the measured footsteps of
pickets are heard, and muffled voices and angry exclamations._
VON RITZAU
Do you feel sleepy, von Stein?
VON STEIN
I don't feel sleepy, but I feel like smoking.
RITZAU
A bad habit! But you may smoke near the window.
STEIN
But what if _he_ should come in? Thank you, von Ritzau. What
a stifling night! Not a breath of pure air enters the lungs.
The air is poisoned with the smell of smoke. We must invent
something against this obnoxious odor. Take it up, Ritzau.
RITZAU
I am not an inventor. First of all it is necessary to wring out
the air as they wring the clothes they wash, and dry it in the
sun. It is so moist, I feel as though I were diving in it. Do
you know whether _he_ is in a good mood today?
STEIN
Why, is he subject to moods, good or bad?
RITZAU
Great self-restraint!
STEIN
Have you ever seen him undressed--or half-dressed? Or have you
ever seen his hair in disorder? He is a wonderful old man!
RITZAU
He speaks so devilishly little, Stein.
STEIN
He prefers to have his cannon speak. It is quite a powerful
voice, isn't it, Ritzau?
_They laugh softly. A tall, handsome officer enters quickly and
goes toward the door leading to the room of the Commander._
Blumenfeld! Any news?
_The tall officer waves his hand and opens the door cautiously,
ready to make his bow._
He is malting his career!
RITZAU
He is a good fellow. I can't bear it, Stein. I am suffocating
here.
STEIN
Would you rather be in Paris?
RITZAU
I would prefer any less unbearable country to this. How dull it
must be here in the winter time.
STEIN
But we have saved them from dullness for a long time to come.
Were you ever in the Montmartre cafés, Ritzau?
RITZAU
Of course!
STEIN
Doesn't one find there a wonderful refinement, culture and
innate elegance? Unfortunately, our Berlin people are far
different.
RITZAU
Oh, of course. Great!
_The tall officer comes out of the door, stepping backward. He
heaves a sigh of relief and sits down near the two officers.
Takes out a cigar._
VON BLUMENFELD How are things?
RITZAU
Very well. We were talking of Paris.
STEIN
Then I am going to smoke too.
BLUMENFELD
You may smoke. He is not coming out Do you want to hear
important news?
STEIN
Well?
BLUMENFELD He laughed just now I
STEIN
Really!
BLUMENFELD
Upon my word of honor! And he touched my shoulder with two
fingers--do you understand?
STEIN
_With envy._
Of course! I suppose you brought him good news, Blumenfeld?
_The military telegraphist, standing at attention, hands
Blumenfeld a folded paper._
TELEGRAPHIST
A radiogram, Lieutenant!
BLUMENFELD
Let me have it.
_Slowly he puts his cigar on the window sill and enters the
Commander's room cautiously._
STEIN
He's a lucky fellow. You may say what you please about luck,
but it exists. Who is this Blumenfeld? Von?--Did you know his
father? Or his grandfather?
RITZAU
I have reason to believe that he had no grandfather at all. But
he is a good comrade.
_Blumenfeld comes out and rejoins the two officers, taking up
his cigar._
STEIN
Another military secret?
BLUMENFELD
Of course. Everything that is said and done here is a military
secret. But I may tell you about it. The information we have
received concerns our new siege guns--they are advancing
successfully.
STEIN
Oho!
BLUMENFELD
Yes, successfully. They have just passed the most difficult part
of the road--you know where the swamps are--
STEIN
Oh, yes.
RITZAU
Great!
BLUMENFELD
The road could not support the heavy weight and caved in.
Our commander was very uneasy. He ordered a report about the
movement at each and every kilometer.
STEIN
Now he will sleep in peace.
BLUMENFELD
He never sleeps, von Stein.
STEIN
That's true.
BLUMENFELD
He never sleeps, von Stein! When he is not listening to
reports or issuing commands, he is thinking. As the personal
correspondent of his Highness I have the honor to know many
things which others are not allowed to know--Oh, gentlemen, he
has a wonderful mind!
RITZAU
Great!
_Another very young officer enters, stands at attention before
Blumenfeld._
BLUMENFELD
Sit down, von Schauss. I am talking about our Commander.
SCHAUSS
Oh!
BLUMENFELD
He has a German philosophical mind which manages guns as
Leibnitz managed ideas. Everything is preconceived, everything
is prearranged, the movement of our millions of people has been
elaborated into such a remarkable system that Kant himself
would have been proud of it. Gentlemen, we are led forward by
indomitable logic and by an iron will. We are inexorable as Fate.
_The officers express their approval by subdued exclamations of
"bravo."_
BLUMENFELD
How can he sleep, if the movement of our armies is but the
movement of parts of his brains! And what is the use of sleep
in general? I sleep very little myself, and I advise you,
gentlemen, not to indulge in foolish sleep.
RITZAU
But our human organism requires sleep.
BLUMENFELD
Nonsense! Organism--that is something invented by the doctors
who are looking for practice among the fools. I know of no
organism. I know only my desires and my will, which says:
"Gerhardt, do this! Gerhardt, go there! Gerhardt, take this!"
And I take it!
RITZAU
Great!
SCHAUSS
Will you permit me to take down your words in my notebook?
BLUMENFELD
Please, Schauss. What is it you want, Zigler?
_The telegraphist has entered._
ZIGLER
I really don't know, but something strange has happened. It
seems that we are being interfered with, I can't understand
anything.
BLUMENFELD
What is it? What is the matter?
ZIGLER
We can make out one word, "Water"--but after that all is
incomprehensible. And then again, "Water"--
BLUMENFELD
What water? You are intoxicated, Zigler. That must be wine, not
water. Is the engineer there?
ZIGLER
He is also surprised and cannot understand.
BLUMENFELD
You are a donkey, Zigler! We'll have to call out--
_The Commander comes out. He is a tall, erect old man. His face
is pale. His voice is dry and unimpassioned._
COMMANDER
Blumenfeld!
_All jump up, straighten themselves, as if petrified._
What is this?
BLUMENFELD
I have not yet investigated it, your Highness. Zigler is
reporting--
COMMANDER
What is it, Zigler?
ZIGLER
Your Highness, we are being interfered with. I don't know what
it is, but I can't understand anything. We have been able to
make out only one word--"Water." Then again--"Water."
COMMANDER
_Turning around._
See what it is, Blumenfeld, and report to me--
_Engineer runs in._
ENGINEER
Where is Blumenfeld? I beg your pardon, your Highness!
COMMANDER
_Pausing._
What has happened there, Kloetz?
ENGINEER
They don't respond to our calls, your Highness. They are silent
like the dead. Something has happened there.
COMMANDER
You think something serious has happened?
ENGINEER
I dare not think so, your Highness, but I am alarmed. Silence is
the only answer to our most energetic calls. But Greitzer wishes
to say something. ... Well? What is it, Greitzer?
_The second telegraphist has entered quietly._
GREITZER
They are silent, your Highness.
_Brief pause._
COMMANDER
_Again turning to the door._
Please investigate this, Lieutenant.
_He advances a step to the door, then stops. There is a
commotion behind the windows--a noise and the sound of voices.
The word "water" is repeated frequently. The noise keeps
growing, turning at times into a loud roar._
What is that?
_All turn to the window. An officer, bareheaded, rushes in
excitedly, his hair disheveled, his face pale._
OFFICER
I want to see his Highness. I want to see his Highness!
BLUMENFELD
_Hissing._
You are insane!
COMMANDER
Calm yourself, officer.
OFFICER
Your Highness! I have the honor to report to you that the
Belgians have burst the dams, and our armies are flooded. Water!
_With horror._
We must hurry, your Highness!
COMMANDER
Hurry! I ask you to calm yourself, officer. What about our guns?
OFFICER
They are flooded, your Highness.
COMMANDER
Compose yourself, you are not behaving properly! I am asking you
about our field guns--
OFFICER
They are flooded, your Highness. The water is coming this
way. We must hurry, your Highness, we are in a valley. This
place is very low. They have broken the dams; and the water is
rushing this way violently. It is only five kilometers away from
here--and we can hardly--. I beg your pardon, your Highness!
_Silence. The commotion without is growing louder. Glimmering
lights appear. The beginning of a terrible panic is felt,
embracing the entire camp. All watch impatiently the reddening
face of the Commander._
COMMANDER
But this is--
_He strikes the table with his fist forcibly._
Absurd!
_He looks at them with cold fury, but all lower their eyes. The
frightened officer is trembling and gazing at the window. The
lights grow brighter outside--it is evident that a building has
been set on fire. The voices without have turned into a roar. A
dull noise, then the crash of shots is heard. The discipline is
disappearing gradually._
BLUMENFELD
They have gone mad!
OFFICER
They are firing! It is an attack!
STEIN
But that can't be the Belgians!
RITZAU
They may have availed themselves--
BLUMENFELD
Aren't you ashamed, Stein? Aren't you ashamed, gentlemen?
COMMANDER Silence! I beg of you--
_Suddenly a piercing, wild sound of a horn is heard ordering to
retreat. The roaring sound is growing rapidly._
COMMANDER
_Shots._
Who has commanded to retreat? Who dares command when I am here?
What a disgrace, Blumenfeld! Order them to return!
_Blumenfeld lowers his head._
COMMANDER
This is not the German Army! You are unworthy of being called
soldiers! Shame! I am ashamed to call myself your general!
Cowards!
BLUMENFELD
_Stepping forward, with dignity._
Your Highness!
OFFICER
Eh! We are not fishes to swim in the water!
_Runs out, followed by two or three others. The panic is
growing._
BLUMENFELD
Your Highness! We ask you--. Your life is in danger--your
Highness.
_Some one else runs out. The room is almost empty. Only the
sentinel remains in the position of one petrified._
BLUMENFELD
Your Highness! I implore you. Your life--I am afraid that
another minute, and it will be too late! Oh, your Highness!
COMMANDER
But this is--
_Again strikes the table with his fist._
But this is absurd, Blumenfeld!
_Curtain_