"...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "Biberkopf, Franz." "His discharge papers." "Thanks." "All the best." "Have fun." "Part 1 :" "The Punishment Begins" "Hey!" "Yeah?" "Something wrong?" "What do you mean?" "Are you afraid?" "No need to be afraid." "Times are bad for most people." "One more won't be noticed." "It's easier when you get out now than it was in the past." "Only four years, wasn't it?" "What are four years?" "Nothing at all." "My God, others have served far longer." "See, it's as simple as that." "You just cross the threshold." "It's simple, isn't it?" "Okay, now you give it a try." "The main thing is to not look back." "It's all superstition and doesn't help usually, but that's how you have to do it." "But if it doesn't help?" "Who knows what helps who?" "It's one of those rules." "If you don't turn around, you won't come back." "The fact that most of them do come back is a mystery people like us will never understand." "All these people and the city and the world, and me..." "Just don't cause any trouble, buddy." "You'll be all right." "About time too." "And remember, don't look back." "Idiot!" "What's the matter?" "You don't feel well?" "They have forks and stick meat into their mouths with them." "Then they pull the forks out again and they don't bleed." "You don't feel well?" "Are you in pain?" "Cognac." "A cognac." "A cognac." ""When the bell rings, work must begin immediately." "It may be interrupted only at the times appointed for eating, walking and instruction." "When walking, prisoners must hold their arms exended and swing them back and forth."" "Stand still." "Do you feel sick?" "What should happen?" "It can't be so bad." "You won't go under." "Berlin's big." "Where thousands live, there'll be room for one more." "There comes a call Like thunder's roar" "Like clash of swords" "Waves dashing on the shore To the Rhine" "The German, German Rhine!" "Guardians all we'd be of thine" "Rest easy, dear fatherland of mine!" "Strong and true stands the watch" "The watch on the Rhine" "Strong and true stands the watch" "The watch" "The watch on the Rhine" "Prisoners are kept in solitary confinement, cells and in groups," "In solitary confinement, a prisoner is isolated from other prisoners," "A prisoner in cell confinement will be brought together with others for exercise, instruction and worship," "Come inside with me." "I'll tell you a story." "What's the matter?" "Down into the ground, into the earth, where it's dark." "For God's sake, you're not at home here." "I'm only a guest here too." "Get up!" "Be quiet, for God's sake!" "If the old man hears..." "We'll get along with each other." "No one's going to take me away from here." "No one's going to take me away from here." "The parable of Zannowich." "If you won't say what's wrong with you," "I'll tell you a story." "Why does he groan and sigh?" "A decision must be made," "A certain course has to be pursued, and you don't know which one, Franz," "You don't want the old one, and in your cell, you just groaned and hid yourself and didn't think," "You didn't think, Franz," "Don't worry about yourself so much." "Listen to others." "Who says you're so important?" "God's hand lets no man fall." "Now," "I'll tell you the story of Zannowich," "Stefan Zannowich." "My late father, God bless him, told us many tales." "There were seven of us, seven hungry mouths, and when there was nothing to eat, he'd tell us stories." "It doesn't fill your stomach, but it helps you to forget." "It's easy to whimper," "A sick mouse can whimper," "In this world, we know life's not all gold, beauty and joy." "Who was this Zannowich?" "Who was his father?" "Who were his parents?" "Paupers," "like most of us." "Shopkeepers, peddlers, traders, and almost starved in the process." "He took up cards and played with the people." "It cost them a mint of money." "Old Zannowich was a cheat." "A cardsharper." "But he had brains." "He bought himself an estate in the end." "A whole village." "And he sent his children to college and he died in old age, respected and at peace with the world." "That was the life of old Zannowich." "A sick camel can groan too," "If the father's a tiny plant, he wants his son to be a tree." "If the father's a stone, the son should be a mountain." "Stefan Zannowich Junior was a great orator, even as a young man of 20." "He could be pliable, ingratiate himself." "He had a way with women and knew how to play the swell among men." "It was like a miracle to young Zannowich." "Everywhere, people flocked to him." "He had the key to everyone's heart." "Fool!" "You should repent, acknowledge what has happened, see what needs to be done," "Now, I want to ask you how Zannowich got as far as he did." "Father and son, for that matter." "Because they had brains, they were clever, you think." "Other people have been clever too, but they haven't achieved as much at 80 as Stefan at 20." "What's most important are a person's eyes and his feet." "You have to be able to see the world and go toward it." "So listen to what Stefan Zannowich did, the man who had seen people and knew how little one need be afraid of them." "See how they smooth one's path, how they almost show a blind man the way." "They wanted him to be Baron Warta." ""Okay," he said, "then I'm Baron Warta."" "Later, that wasn't enough for him, nor for them." "If one can be a baron, why not more?" "Hey, listen, little man, were you hit by a car or something?" "A bit cracked, maybe?" "So maybe I was run over." "First I'm a fool, then I'm meshugge." "Why are you sitting here giving me a load of bull?" "Who's sitting here and won't get up?" "Me?" "When there's a sofa behind me?" "If it bothers you," "I'll stop talking." "It's more comfortable sitting like that." "Just cut the bull, will you?" "Whatever you want." "I've told the story many times." "I don't have to go on, if you're not interested." "No, no, no." "You carry on with your story." "I just wanted to open your eyes." "This Stefan Zannowich I told you about got hold of money, so much that he could go to Germany with it and be free." "The moral of Zannowich's story is that he knew about himself and about people." "Yet he was as innocent as a little bird." "You see, he wasn't in the least afraid of the world." "Surprising conclusion to the story and the invigorating effect this has on the released prisoner." "I haven't met an odd fish like you in a long time." "Maybe you haven't been looking." "There are still some around." "What's your line, anyway?" "Baying at the moon?" "That's good." "Now we'll talk about the moon." "Who is this man?" "What are you doing with him?" "And what are you doing here, Eliser?" "I don't know who he is." "He won't tell me his name." "Been telling stories again?" "What business is it of yours?" "Has he been telling you stories?" "He doesn't talk." "He goes around singing in the courtyards." "Let him go, then." "What I do is none of your business." "I heard at the door what was going on." "You told him about Zannowich." "All you ever do is tell stories." "Who on earth are you?" "How did you get in here?" "Why do you meddle in his affairs?" "Did he tell you about Zannowich or not?" "He did tell you." "My brother-in-law Nahum goes around telling stories and can't even help himself." "I never asked for your help." "Can't you see he doesn't feel well, you nasty person?" "So he feels unwell." "God didn't command you to help." "Listen to him!" "God had to wait until he came along to help." "You nasty person." "Steer clear of him." "He's probably told you how Zannowich got on in the world." "Are you going soon?" "Listen to the old fraud, the do-gooder." "Thinks he can tell me!" "Whose place is this?" "His?" "What did you tell him about Zannowich?" "The lessons to be learned from him?" "You should have become a rabbi." "We'd have fed you." "I don't need your charity." "And we don't need parasites hanging on our coattails!" "Did he tell you what happened to his Zannowich in the end?" "You nasty person!" "Did he tell you that?" "Hey, don't run away." "Don't be upset." "Let him blather." "He drives people meshugge." "Let him tell you how it all ended with his Zannowich, Stefan." "He doesn't say." "Why won't he say?" "I ask you." "Because you're a nasty person, Eliser." "So how long did he live, your Zannowich, huh?" "Thirty years." "He wasn't allowed longer because of his evil deeds." "He couldn't pay back borrowed money." "They took him to court." "And so it all came out about his hero." "Nahum, did you tell him about his terrible end in prison?" "How he cut his veins and how he died?" "A fine life!" "A fine end!" "Tell him about that." "Afterwards, the executioner came, the flayer with a cart for animals, and they loaded Zannowich onto it and threw him down near the gallows and dumped garbage from the city over him." "Is that true?" "A sick mouse can whimper too." "So that's how you are, brother-in-law." "Go ahead." "Say it isn't true." "Hey, just a moment." "Is it true, what he said about the man and how they locked him up and killed him?" "Killed?" "Did I say they killed him?" "No." "He killed himself." "All right, he killed himself." "And what did the others do?" "Who?" "Who?" "Surely there were others like him, like Stefan." "What should they have done?" "They just watched." "Here." "Just look at my pants." "That's how big I was once." "And now they're so loose, two big fists would go in there." "That's hunger for you." "It's all gone, my whole gut." "That's how you're broken if you don't always behave as you should." "But the others ain't much better, if you ask me." "They want to drive you crazy." "A jailbird." "So what?" "Then they say:" ""You're released."" "And you're back in it, in the mire." "And it's the same mire as before." "It's no laughing matter." "You see what they did with that guy there." "They take him out of jail, and the bastard with the dogcart throws the dead man on top after he's killed himself." "The goddamned bastard." "They should have killed him right away." "Sinning against people like that." "You can say what you like." "Well, what can one say?" "Are we nothing anymore, just because we did something once?" "Anyone who's done time can get back on his feet, no matter what he's done." "Why repent?" "You have to get it off your chest, strike out, put it all behind you, and then it'll be over, the fear and everything," "I just wanted to tell you not to believe everything my brother-in-law says." "Things don't always work out the way you want them to." "There's no justice in throwing a guy on a dung heap and pouring garbage over him." "Is that justice for a dead man?" "It's revolting!" "I must say goodbye now." "Give me your mitts." "Come on." "You mean well, and so do you." "My name's Biberkopf, Franz." "Nice of you to take me in." "My little birdy sang quite a song in the yard, huh?" "Don't worry." "It'll pass." "Are you really all right?" "Can you manage on your own?" "Don't worry your little head." "You can let me go." "You told me about the eyes and the legs." "I still have them." "Nobody's chopped them off yet!" "I could use a cognac." "And if anyone tries anything," "I'll paste him one." "I must see where I can get a cognac." "An orphan's fate - in six acts" "Showing today:" "Orphaned" "All very interesting." "Could do that again, but in this damned weather." "I don't know." "And anyway, what's the point?" "God-awful weather." "How much is the girl?" "Let me go!" "What's the matter?" "I can't breathe, you jerk!" "Are you crazy?" "Give me my three marks first." "That's the rule." "Why are you staring at me like that?" "Because I've been in jail a few years, fatso." "Out in Tegel." "You can imagine." "There once was a prince and a princess," "That loved one another so dear." "When the dog with the bone runs across the street..." "Cluck, cluck, cluck, my rooster Cluck, cluck, cluck, my hen," "Anything wrong?" "Who's that guy next door?" "It ain't a guy." "It's my landlady." "What's she doing?" "What do you think?" "She's in her kitchen." "Tell her to stop moving around." "Why's she walking around?" "I can't stand it." "My God." "Okay, I'll tell her." "Mrs. Priese, could you be quiet for a few minutes?" "I have to talk with a gentleman." "It's important." "Making soup, Miss Stein?" "The yellow oxfords need resoling," "I'll get a spoon," "Kitty's guy will do it for 2 marks," "Cooking noodles?" "I won't snatch him from her," "Give me noodles, Miss Stein!" "Dye them brown," "like my blouse," "It's an old rag anyway," "It'd make a good coffee cozy," "The ribbons need to be pressed," "I'll tell Mrs, Priese, She probably has a fire going," "What's she cooking today?" "Don't you like me?" "Don't make me laugh." "Lie down again." "Hey, you're not going to cry here?" "I'll be right with you and bring something good." "Then everything will be fine again." "Come on, open your little beak." "Big boy has to drink." "People are always cheerful here." "That'll be another 60 pfennigs." "Come on, big guy." "Trouble with the eyes?" "Drink Mampe's brandy and you'll feel fine and dandy." "And I've got something here." "Read that and everything will be okay again." ""Sexual potency is the outcome of the combined actions of first, the internal secretory system, second, the nervous system, and third, the sexual apparatus." "The glands responsible for potency are:" "the pituitary gland, the thyroid gland, the adrenal glands, the prostate gland, the seminal vesicle and the epididymis." "Within this system, the gonad predominates." "The substance it produces charges the entire sexual apparatus, from the cerebral cortex to the genitals." "The erotic stimulus triggers erotic tension in the cerebral cortex." "A current in the form of an erotic impulse travels from the cerebral cortex to the control center in the diencephalon." "The stimulus then rolls down the spinal cord but not without impediment, for before leaving the brain, it has to overcome the braking effect of inhibitions, those mainly emotional inhibitions that, for fear of failure..."" "It's not my fault." "You owe me 60 pfennigs for the two Mampes." "Mr. Biberkopf." "You're so late." "I expected you much earlier." "Miss Eva paid your rent and said you were coming today, but much earlier." "Come in." "Thanks." "You remember where your room was, don't you?" "It hasn't really been so long." "The next door." "Or you can use the other one, here." "Four years." "My God." "You, Franz." "Yes." "Open the door." "Let me in." "Rumbledy, bumbledy, bumbledy, bee." "There's a piece of twine on my tongue." "What do you want here?" "If somebody had seen you on the stairs." "So what?" "What would it matter?" "They know what they can do." "Good morning." "Rumbledy bumbledy..." "Rumbledy bumbledy..." "Rumbledy bumbledy..." "Damn piece of twine on my tongue." "Can't get it off." "It doesn't matter." "Just a stupid feeling on the tip of the tongue." "What do you want here, Franz?" "You must be crazy." "I'll just sit down." "I devote myself to you" "With heart and hand" "The Kaiser relinquishes the sword." "The Kaiser must return the sword to me." "That is the way of the world." "If you don't go, I'll scream for help." "I'll yell I'm being attacked." "But why?" "Rumbledy, bumbledy, bumbledy, bee." "I've walked so far." "Now I'm here and I'm sitting here..." "Have they let you out already?" "Yeah, it's all over." "And because they let me out, I'm here." "They let me out, all right." "But how." "The trumpet's broken." "It's all over." "What do you want?" "What's up with you?" "Franz." "I'll scream." "Let me go." "Karl will be back soon, any minute now." "That's how it all started with Ida." "What is a woman worth among friends?" "The London divorce court, at the suit of Captain Bacon, dissolved his marriage on the grounds of his wife's adultery with Captain Furber, a fellow officer, and granted damages amounting to £750," "The captain would not seem to have attached any great value to his unfaithful wife, who intends to marry her lover soon," "There's nothing you can do," "Men like this have arms of iron," "Iron," "I'll scream for help," "Franz." "Oh, God." "Have mercy, Franz." "That's the look he gave Ida," "It's Ida he's holding in his arms," "It's her," "He's holding Ida in his arms, and Ida's my sister," "No more of those terrible brawls," "No more boozing," "I'm not in jail anymore," "It's the Garden of Eden, with dazzling fireworks," "No house, No gravity, centrifugal force," "Gone, sunk down, extinguished, The red diffraction of solar radiation, the kinetic theory of gases, the transformation of heat into energy, the electrical oscillations, induction phenomena, the density of metals, of fluids, of nonmetallic solids," "Go on, strangle me." "I'll keep still if you can do it." "You sure deserve it." "What's the sound of the trumpets?" "What's the sound of the trumpets?" "Hussars, ride forth!" "What's the sound of the trumpets?" "Hussars, ride forth!" "Hallelujah!" "Franz Biberkopf has been released!" "Franz Biberkopf is back again!" "I'll tell Karl." "Franz Biberkopf is free!" "I'll tell Karl." "They should have kept you four more years." "All Franz." "Franz is back!" "Franz is free again!" "Take your hat and get out of here." "If he meets you and I've got a black eye..." "A black eye..." "Don't show your face here again!" "Don't come here again, or I'll tell Karl." "Tell him." "Tell him everything, Minna." "I'm so happy, Minna." "I'm so happy." "I'm a human being again." "And who's paying for my apron?" "Just like a man." "So stupid." "I'd like to be so full of myself for once." "Just once in my life." "Franz killed his girlfriend, Ida, her last name's not important, in the flower of her youth," "It happened during a quarrel between Franz and Ida," "Initially, the following organs of the woman were slightly injured:" "The skin at the end of her nose, and in the middle, the bone and cartilage beneath," "This was noticed later at the hospital and played a role in court records," "In addition, the right and left shoulders suffered light bruising, with a discharge of blood," "All he took in his hand was a small, wooden cream whip," "With two mighty blows, he brought the whip into contact with the rib cage of Ida, his partner in this altercation," "Up to that day, Ida's rib cage had been completely intact, which one couldn't say of this attractive little person herself," "Indeed, the man she supported suspected, not without good reason, that she was about to ditch him for someone newly arrived from Breslau," "Anyway, this sweet girl's rib cage was not built to withstand contact with the cream whip," "At the first blow, she cried out," "She no longer called him a dirty pimp, but said, "Oh, God!"" "The second encounter with the cream whip occurred with Franz standing firmly after Ida had made a quarter turn to the right," "Whereupon Ida said nothing at all, but opened her mouth in a strange way," "What had happened to the woman's rib cage a second before has to do with the laws of rigidity and elasticity, impact and resistance," "Without a knowledge of these laws, the case cannot be understood," "The following formula may be applied:" "Newton 's first law says that a body remains in a state of rest unless acted upon by an external force, open parentheses, which applies to Ida 's ribs, closed parentheses," "Newton 's second law says that the change of momentum is proportional to the force and is in the same direction, open parentheses, the effective force being Franz, or his arm and fist and the contents thereof, closed parentheses," "requests your attention," "I shall be happy to comply with your wishes and enclose my new catalog and price list," "In my store, you'll find an even larger selection," "Come in." "Visitors for you, Mr. Biberkopf." "Yes?" "Franz." "Hello, Franz." "Hello." "Why didn't you drop by?" "Should you decide to purchase from me, you will enjoy my company's services," "The decision is yours," "I'd be delighted if you accepted my invitation to view our remarkable display," "You're welcome anytime," "Remember:" "Hübner's Furnishings and the Radio Review..." "Oh..." "I don't know." "I..." "What is it?" "I don't want to go on as before." "I don't want to go on as before." "I don't want to go on as before." "I don't want to go on as before." "I don't want to go on as before, I don't want to go on as before." "I don't want to go on as before..." "What's up with him?" "He's all screwed up." "I don't want to go on as before." "I don't want to go on as before." "Franz." "I don't want to go on as before." "I don't want to go on as before." "I don't want to go on as before." "Franz." "I don't want to go on as before." "You should go away." "I told you before." "I just brought the aprons." "What aprons?" "Go on, pick some out." "You can keep your stolen goods." "Mom, there's a strange man in the house." "Mom." "Don't get the wrong idea." "It's just so the neighbors don't see you." "I just brought the aprons." "I told you, you can keep your stolen stuff." "It isn't stolen." "Look." "It's really not stolen." "Really." "Minna." "It's all for you, Minna." "It's my pleasure, Minna." "I've been looking forward to it all day." "I dreamed about you last night." "You really make a person unhappy." "What's the matter?" "Karl didn't believe me about the black eye." "He wanted me to show him how I could bump into a cupboard like that." "You really can get a black eye like that if the door's open." "He should try it." "I don't know why, but he doesn't believe me." "I don't understand it." "It's because of the marks on my throat here." "I didn't even notice them." "What do you say when he points them out and you look in the mirror and don't know where they came from?" "You can scratch yourself if something itches." "Don't let Karl push you around like that." "I'd have given him a piece of my mind." "And you keep coming up here." "I bet the neighbors saw you." "Go away, Franz." "Don't come back again." "You make me unhappy." "Go away, Franz." "Is it going to start all over again?" "What do you mean?" "I just want to sit with you in the parlor." "Would you like one?" "No, thanks." "Don't come back, Franz." "God, Minna." "What you can do to a guy." "Why shouldn't I come back?" "All right, I won't come back." "No, don't come back, Franz." "Franz?" "Hey, Meck!" "I've been following you since you left home." "You should have said something." "Why didn't you say anything?" "Why didn't you say anything?" "I don't know." "Just a feeling I had." "What do you want with them up there?" "Isn't that lda's sister?" "Of course it's lda's sister." "What about it?" "Haven't you had enough of all that?" "Yes, it's all over." "I just couldn't help it." "I don't know why myself." "But what I did, I had to do." "It was necessary for me." "Do you understand?" "Well, that's your business." "Yeah, it's my business." "Let's have a drink together." "It's been ages." "Yeah, it's been a long time." "Yeah." "Exactly four years and a few days." "Tell me, honestly, how was it in there?" "No different from outside." "You can't believe it, can you?" "But it's the truth." "And the truth is the truth is the truth is the truth is the truth." "Do you know her?" "That's Lina, a Polish girl." "She's always here." "Say, what's up with her?" "Nobody knows for sure." "But she's a nice girl." "Everyone knows that." "I could go for her." "Are you sure there's really nothing up with her?" "No, really not." "She gets by." "Everyone tries to survive." "It's the times we live in." "You have to make ends meet." "Yeah." "Everyone tries to survive." "What about you?" "What are you doing?" "Well, what does one do?" "One thing today, another thing tomorrow, and something else the next day." "This, that and the other." "That's life." "It should be something new." "That's right." "New and different." "Completely different, completely new." "We all come to our senses." "That's right." "We all come to our senses, even the most sensible guy." "Even the most sensible guy comes to his senses." "Cheers." "Cheers." "Okay, now bring us three more." "And a cognac for the lady." "If she feels like it, she should join us." "And if she doesn't, she doesn't have to." "Hey, Lina." "This is for you, Lina, from the gentleman over there." "Drink it, if you like, with no strings attached." "Or if you feel like it, you can join them." "What's up?" "Don't you want to drink to something?" "Later." "Thank you." "No need to say thanks." "You say thanks afterwards, or not at all." "It doesn't mean much." "Have you been sick, or...?" "That's one way of putting it." "Yeah, that's one way of putting it." "You did time." "Wait a second." "I'd say three..." "No." "More like four years." "I..." "Don't let it bother you." "That's just my way sometimes." "I see things like that." "I don't know how it happens." "I just see something, and in the end, I'm proven right." "I served four years in Tegel." "There, you see?" "Everything's okay again." "Cheers." "Cheers." "What's one meant to believe?" "You can believe in this, you can believe in that." "But reality isn't real." "It's constantly changing." "One day, it's this, the next day, something else." "Yeah." "Four years." "It's not much, four years." "Did you ever feel" "Homesick?" "Heartache that won't heal" "Homesick?" "Everywhere around" "Cold and gloom abound" "Soft the sea's waves sound" "Homesick" "Did you ever feel" "Homesick?" "Homesick?" "Homesick" "Testifortan." "Where did you get this?" "Oh, that." "Some guy who was here." "I don't know exactly." "Ten days, three weeks, maybe." "He took the stuff." "Testifortan." "Testifortan, registered trademark number 365,635." "Medication for sexual disturbances by Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld and Dr. Bernhard Schapiro of the Institute for Sexual Research, Berlin." "The main causes of impotence are:" "A, insufficient tension, caused by a dysfunction of the internal secretory glands." "B, excessive resistance, caused by extreme psychological inhibitions or exhaustion of the erectile center." "At what point the impotent person should attempt to resume sexual activity will depend on the circumstances in each case." "Abstention for a time can often prove helpful."" "Abstention can often prove helpful." "What's the matter?" "That's my way." "Oh, yeah?" "That's your way, is it?" "Yes." "Well, fine." "Yes?" "Your skin's so beautiful." "It's what a man dreams of without knowing exactly what he's dreaming of." "And your ears." "And where your hair begins." "And your smile." "And the way you look at me." "Did you feel that?" "Do other people feel the same?" "Not knowing, when they dream, what they're dreaming of when they lie there with their eyes closed and dream?" "Now I know what I wanted to do today." "I was looking for an excuse to do what I wanted to do anyway." "Now I know what it was." "I wanted to do it before and didn't know what it was." "I wanted to make a promise." "I wanted to take an oath that I'd stay honest." "That I would stay honest and that I'd never again do anything..." "That I'd never do anything different from what others do." "That's what I wanted to swear." "I wanted to swear never to be dishonest again." "That's what I wanted to swear." "And now I've sworn it, and you've heard it." "I have taken an oath." "I've sworn to stay honest." "I have sworn to stay honest!" "I've taken an oath, and you're my witness." "You heard it." "You heard that I want to stay straight." "I've taken an oath, and you're my witness, that I always want to stay honest, always." "That I want to stay honest for ever and ever." "That I want to stay honest forever..." "Good morning." "Good morning, Franz." "I wasn't expecting you anymore." "You know I'm the most reliable guy in the world." "A leopard can't change its spots." "Well..." "Well, so that's how it is." "Well..." "Mrs. Bast." "Mrs. Bast!" "You were away all night." "That's life." "This is Lina, Mrs. Bast, simply Lina." "You'll have to get used to her." "Yes, but..." "No buts, Mrs. Bast." "Lina." "Go over and shake her hand." "You'll have to get along with her." "Go on." "She's okay." "My name's Lina." "Just how it all came about, I can't tell you, but I like Franz." "And what else?" "What else?" "I just I like him, that's all." "Well, since nothing can be changed, feel yourself at home." "That's good, Lina." "It's very good she likes you." "Anyone she takes a liking to is okay." "Hello, Mr. Meck." "Still as cheerful as ever?" "As much as times permit, Mrs. Bast." "You know how it is." "How right you are." "By the way, Mr. Biberkopf, I don't know if it's important, but a letter came for you." "A letter?" "For me?" "Yes, from the authorities." "But it doesn't have to be serious." ""Re:" "Franz Biberkopf." "Having been convicted of threatening behavior, assault and battery and inflicting bodily injury resulting in death, you must be considered a danger to public safety and morality." "In accordance with Clause 2 of the law of December 31, 1842, and Clause 3 of the law relating to freedom of movement dating from November 1, 1867, as well as laws dating from June 12, 1889," "and June 13, 1900, I decree your expulsion from the following districts of Berlin:" "Charlottenburg, Neukölln," "Schöneberg, Wilmersdorf, Lichtenberg and Stralau, as well as the administrative districts of Friedenau, Schmargendorf," "Tempelhof, Britz, Treptow," "Reinickendorf, Weissensee, Pankow and Tegel." "I call upon you to leave this area within a period of 14 days." "Should you be found within the described area or return thereto after expiry of the appointed period, in accordance with Clause 132, Paragraph 2 of the General State Administration Law dating from July 30, 1883, you will be fined the initial sum of 100 marks," "or, in the event of inability to pay, be sentenced to 10 days' imprisonment." "Furthermore, should you take up residence in any of the following municipalities around Berlin:" "Potsdam, Spandau, Friedrichsfelde," "Karlshorst, Friedrichshagen, Oberschöneweide," "Wuhlheide, Fichtenau, Rahnsdorf, Carow, Buch, Frohnau," "Köpenick, Lankwitz, Steglitz, Zehlendorf, Teltow, Dahlem, Wannsee," "Klein-Glienicke, Nowawes, Neuendorf, Eiche," "Bornim and Bornstedt, you will be expelled from the respective locations in accordance with form number 968." "Police Headquarters, Berlin."" "No need to look like that." "I'm so fond of you." "Well..." "Say something." "Say something." "For God's sake, say something." "What should I say?" "What should I say?" "Say something." "I say Prunerstrasse 1, Prisoners' Aid." "Very well." "Then write:" "Mr. Franz Biberkopf has placed himself under our supervision." "We'll check that you're working, and you must report to us once a month." "Every month." "That's all right." "We shall inquire whether he is working." "Mr. Biberkopf has also undertaken to report to us each month." "Thanks." "Goodbye." "Goodbye." "Make sure you stick to our agreement." "Forgotten the fear, Tegel, the red wall, the moaning and all, A new life begins, Gone is the pain, The old life is over," "Franz Biberkopf's back again, The Prussians are happy and shout, "Hurrah!"" "We've won." "Lina, we've won." "Do you understand?" "We've won, Lina." "We've won!" "We've won!" "Oh, man!" "I don't have to leave Berlin." "End of part one, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "Two marks fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty," "Ninety." "And that's the lot." "Over and out." "But..." "If I were to..." "Don't interrupt me again." "If I were maybe to..." "No!" "." "When I say no, I mean no." "I don't want you earning money for me." "I don't want to live on money earned by someone I love." "It brings bad luck." "You understand?" "And I swore it as well." "I swore it that first night, Lina." "Yes, Franz." "And promise me you'll never bring it up again." "Bring me a schnapps, Maxie." "Coming up." "How many unemployed people are there in Berlin?" "I don't know." "A few hundred thousand maybe." "You reckon?" "Oh, well..." "One mark, two marks, two marks fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety." "Hey." "Hi, Meck." "Come and join us." "Cheers." "Thanks." "A beer for me, please." "Okay." "That's all you've got, eh?" "Well, then..." "Yeah?" "We'll just have to see." "Part 2:" "How Is One to Live If One Doesn't Want to Die?" "You can't collect welfare or work in a factory, it's too cold for excavating work." "Trade would be the best thing." "In Berlin or in the country, that's up to you." "At least you'd have a full belly." "Why doesn't the proletarian man wear a tie?" "Because he can't tie one." "So he has to buy a tie holder, and when he's bought one, he's no better off." "He still can't tie the thing with it." "That's a swindle." "It makes people resentful." "It pushes Germany deeper into misery than it already is." "Why don't people want to wear a big tie holder?" "They don't want a dustpan around their necks." "No man, no woman wants that." "Not even a baby if it could e-press an opinion." "Buy a tie holder like that at Tietz's or Wertheim's, or if you don't want to buy from Jews, buy it somewhere else." "I'm an Aryan." "The big department stores don't need me to advertise for them." "They can get along without me." "Buy yourself a tie-holder like these ones here, then consider how to tie it in the morning." "Listen, folks, who's got time nowadays to tie a tie in the morning?" "Who wouldn't rather sleep a minute longer?" "We all need our sleep." "We have to work so hard and don't earn much." "A tie holder like this will help you sleep better." "That's competition for the drugstores." "Buy a tie holder from me, and you won't need sleeping potions and nightcaps." "You won't need anything at all." "You'll sleep like a baby at its mother's breast." "No scramble in the morning." "What you need is there on the dresser." "Just push it under your collar." "You spend your money on so much other junk." "Deutsches Tageblatt." "Latest edition!" "Deutsches Tageblatt." "Latest edition!" "Hot sausages!" "Yes, but..." "Wait!" "That's..." "Deutsches Tageblatt." "You're buying quality merchandise here." "Not celluloid." "It's all genuine rubber." "Twenty pfennigs each." "Three for 50 pfennigs." "Keep off the road, young man, or you'll get run over." "And who's going to clear away the mess?" "Let me explain how to knot this tie." "No sledgehammer tactics needed here." "You'll get it right away." "You take both ends like this, 12 to 14 inches long, then fold it over, but not like this." "It looks like a squashed bug on the wall, a kippered herring on your chest." "A gentleman wouldn't be seen dead in it." "So use my little gadget here." "It saves time, and time is money." "This fine little thing is just what you need." "Look!" "The ideal Christmas present." "It suits your taste, and it's for your convenience." "If the Dawes Plan has left you anything at all, it's your head under your hat." "And your head will tell you that you need this, that you should buy it and take it home, and it'll comfort you." "Hot sausages!" "Hot sausages!" "Who was that woman?" "That..." "That was Eva, a girl I used to know." "But that's history." "It's all over now." "You know, Lina, I'm no good at speaking." "I'm not a public orator." "When I call out my stuff, they understand me, but it's not the real thing." "Do you know what mettle is?" "No." "Mettle is spirit, brains and not just your skull." "And a speaker is a speaker." "You are one, Franz." "Don't tell me that." "Me?" "A speaker?" "No." "Do you know who was a speaker?" "You see?" "I don't either." "But this here is nothing for me." "I've been thinking about it all day." "I want to sell newspapers." "Newspapers?" "That's right, newspapers." "It suddenly entered my head, and it stayed there, and it's the right thing." "Newspapers." "I'm going to see what we can do about it." "You stay here and carry on for me." "You're better at it than I am anyway." "Bye." "Hello." "Well, any ideas?" "Tie holders are not the right thing for me." "That's like selling something I don't need myself." "If I were you, I'd try sexual education." "It's all the rage now, and it sells well." "What is it?" "Here." "Just take a look." "Then you won't ask any more questions." "Pictures of naked girls!" "I don't have them in any other form." "Say, buddy," "is this your idea of fun?" "What?" "The girls here, and pictures like that." "Laughing Life." "They paint a naked girl with a kitten." "What's she doing on the stairs with a kitten?" "Strange bird!" "Do you mind if I look?" "Let me take a look at these." "Figaro it's called." "And this one, Marriage." "And this." "Ideal Marriage." "That's something different from marriage." "Love Between Women." "All available separately." "There's a lot of information if you've got the money, but they're damned e-pensive." "Tell me is there a catch to it?" "Why should there be a catch?" "It's all aboveboard." "Nothing illegal." "I've got a permit for what I sell." "There's no catch to it." "I don't touch things like that." "All I can say is, looking at pictures is no good." "I can tell you a tale about that." "It ruins a man." "It screws him up." "It starts with looking at pictures, and later, when you want to, it doesn't come natural anymore." "I don't understand what you mean." "Don't spit all over my magazines, they cost money." "And don't mess up the covers!" "Here, read this." "Unmarried Couples." "There's a special magazine for everything." "Unmarried Couples." "As if they didn't e-ist." "I'm not married to Lina either." "Look!" "Read this and tell me if it isn't true." "It's just an e-ample:" ""The attempt to regulate a married couple's sex life by contract and to dictate conjugal obligations, as prescribed by law, is the most abominable and humiliating form of slavery" "one can imagine." There!" "How come?" "Is it true or not?" "It doesn't arise in my case." "A woman who demands something like that from a man!" "Do things like that really happen?" "Go ahead and read it." "My God!" "Just let her try that with me." ""The attempt to regulate a married couple's sex life by contract and to dictate conjugal obligations, as prescribed by law, is the most abominable and humiliating form of slavery one can imagine."" "Okay." "Here's Love Between Women and Friendship, and they're not just talking." "They're fighting." "Yeah, for human rights." "What's their beef?" "Paragraph 175, if you're not aware of it." "It's a glaring injustice, and it happens to millions every day in Germany." "It's enough to make your hair stand on end." "You can feel sorry for those guys, but what's it got to do with me?" "Did you find anyhing?" "Well...maybe." "I told the old man we're through with tie holders." "I'm no good at it either." "No one buys anyhing from me." "There's a strange story in this magazine." "A bald-headed guy goes for a walk one night in the Tiergarten district." "He meets a good-looking boy, who takes the man's arm right away." "After strolling around for about an hour, the bald-headed guy feels an urge to show his affection for the boy." "The guy's married, but he's felt these things before, and now he has to do it, because it's such a wonderful feeling or something." ""You're my sunshine!" he says, and:" ""My treasure!"" "And he's so gentle, and..." "That things like that e-ist!" "Then the boy says to him:" ""You know what?" "Let's go to a small hotel, and you give me five marks or ten marks, because I'm flat broke."" "And the old guy says:" ""I'd do anyhing for you, my sunshine."" "And he gives him his whole wallet." "But in the hotel rooms, there are peepholes in the doors." "The hotel owner sees something and calls his wife, and his wife sees something too." "And they say they won't tolerate things like that in their hotel, the sort of things they've just seen." "He should be ashamed of seducing a boy like that." "They threaten to report him to the police." "Then the porter comes and the chambermaid, and they all stand around grinning." "The next day, the bald-headed guy buys two bottles of Asbach brandy and leaves on a business trip to Helgoland." "He wants to drown his sorrows and then drown himself or something." "Anyway, he sails on the ship and gets drunk, but he doesn't kill himself after all." "And one day, while he's away convalescing, his wife has to sign a summons for him, which she does." "But she also takes a look at it, and sees everything described there:" "the peepholes, and the wallet, and the dear young man." "And when the bald-headed guy comes back, they all stand around him crying their heads off, his wife and his two grown-up daughters." "Then he reads the summons himself." ""Your Honor, what did I do?" "I went to my room and locked myself in." "It's not my fault if they have peepholes." "No offense was committed." And the boy confirms this." ""What did I do wrong?"" "The bald-headed guy in furs sobs." ""Did I steal?" "Was I caught breaking and entering?" "All I entered was the heart of a dear young man." "And I said:" "'You're my sunshine.'" "And he was too."" "I see." "Are you that way too, maybe?" "Like the guy in the magazine?" "What?" "Lina!" "Lina!" "Lina, wait a minute." "Lina!" "What's up with you?" "What's all this nonsense?" "No, Franz." "I'm not going with you." "We're through." "You can beat it." "What's all this nonsense?" "Come on, Lina." "I'll give him back his trash." "My God, Franz." "I was so scared." "What is it?" "Come on!" "Well, you know, I..." "Okay." "In the war zone, sweet, slovenly, unwashed, little Lina, her eyes red with tears, made an autonomous thrust à la Prince of Homburg." ""Noble Uncle Friedrich von der Mark!" "Natalie!" "Let it be!" "Let it be!"" ""Almighty God, now he is lost!" "No matter." "No matter."" "She made a beeline, straight as an arrow, for the old man's stand." "And Franz Biberkopf, noble in his suffering, forced himself to wait in the background." "There he stood, the cigar shop in the background, by Schröder Import-Export, from where he observed, obscured by a light mist, by streetcars and passers-by, the progress of hostilities." "The heroes had come to grips, figuratively speaking." "They probed each other, searching for weak spots." "In a peppery mood, Lina Przybilla from Czernowitz, sole legitimate daughter of Stanislaus Przybilla, after the premature births of two half-developed babies, both of whom were to have been called Lina," "Miss Przybilla flung down the journals vehemently." "The rest was lost in the din of street traffic." ""What a woman!" "What a woman!"" "a happily hampered Franz sighed in admiration." "He approached the center of hostilities like a reserve force, and outside Ernst Kümmerlich's liquor shop, the victorious, smiling heroine," "Miss Lina Przybilla, unkempt, but delightful, greeted him, screeching, "I gave it to him, Franz!"" "Then, in standing, she sank to that part of his body she took to be his heart, but which, beneath his woolen undershirt, was his breastbone and the upper lobe of his left lung." "She was triumphant." ""Now, O Immortality, thou art mine!" "What radiance unfolds!" "Hail the Prince of Homburg, victor in the battle of Fehrbellin!" "Hail." "Hail!" "Open parentheses, ladies-in-waiting, officers, and torches appear on the castle ramp," close parentheses." "Well, how was that?" "Masterly, I tell you." "Masterly." "When I do something, I do it properly." "Well, I may not have any work now, but" "I do have you, Lina." "Yes, Franz, you've got me." "And we'll find work too." "Give me my purse!" "What?" "My purse!" "Wait a second." "I have to pee." "Si- thousand six hundred and seventy-three thousand," "five hundred and eighty-two." "What was that?" "You asked me how many people" "are unemployed in Berlin." "Yeah." "Well, I found out:" "673,582." "No, no." "673,583." "How do you work that out?" "I said 673,582." "It's simple." "You forgot me." "The latest figure is 673,583." "Got it?" "You have to stick to the facts, don't you?" "Yes, but..." "No "buts."" "If there were 673,582 unemployed in Berlin 10 minutes ago, there are 673,583 unemployed people in Berlin now." "lf you say so, it must be right." "E-actly." "Listen, Lina." "You know what a layout girl is?" "A layout girl?" "Yeah." "A layout girl she's..." "I don't know." "A layout girl has to lay things out, and check layouts and..." "That's a layout girl." "No, Lina, that's not what I mean." "If I push you, and you're laid out on the sofa, with me next to you, then you're a layout girl, and I'm a layout man." "Yes, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" "Let's give ourselves a treat today." "Why today of all days?" "Because yesterday's over and tomorrow's not yet here." "Understand?" "I understand." "Okay, then, we'll go to the New World." "The New World?" "Yeah, the New World at the Hasenheide." "Don't you know it?" "No." "So much the better." "What you don't know, you have to find out about." "673,583." "He is your master?" "How proud that sounds" "True it is only Within certain bounds" "When one considers, What are the grounds" "For a marriage like that in Sicily?" "Here stands the husband Outside the door" "There sits the boyfriend inside with her" "Quite without shame It's just the same" "In the finest of families" "In bed she lay till late" "Then decked herself out in state" "There she sits looking grand With a rosary in her hand" "Ladies and gentlemen, find out the truth from me!" "Drink, my friend, drink!" "Leave all your worries at home" "Yeah, that's what I'll do:" "I'll leave my worries at home." "Cheers." "Talk of salvation Talk of damnation" "The economy's not your concern" "The man is really a sucker" "At home in Berlin, it wouldn't occur" "No man at home Would talk in that way" "Nor is his place in the kitchen, we say" "And still he brings her coffee in bed" "She just has to grind it That's all he said" "A man from Berlin is witty and gay" "And he wears the trousers anyway" "That's why, so many years ago" "All the songs in Berlin changed, and so" "We now sing" "Mother, the man with the coke is here" "Just shut your trap!" "I know that, my dear" "I've no cash, you've no cash What's to be done?" "Whoever asked the coke man to come?" "Mother, the man with the coke is here" "Just shut your trap!" "I know that, my dear" "In the south, A sunburn's for free on the whole" "But in Berlin You need dough for the coal" "Yes, for the coal" "Encore!" "Encore!" "Encore!" "So we sing" "Mother, the man with the coke is here" "Just shut your trap!" "I know that, my dear" "I've no cash, you've no cash What's to be done?" "Who asked the man with the coke To come?" "Come on, Franz." "You don't come here to be sad." "People come here to be happy to dance and laugh." "Understand?" "Yeah, but the..." "...the world..." "What do you mean, "the world"?" "This here's the New World." "Come on, let's have a drink." "Want to give it a try?" "20 pfennigs." "A small price to find out how strong you are." "For 20 pfennigs you can find out if you're a man." "Want to try?" "I don't know." "Oh, baloney!" "You're stronger than all of them." "Come on!" "That's the one thing a woman can't tell:" "whether the man she loves is strong." "Two beers." "Cheers." "And what about me?" "Cheers." "Cheers." "Cheers." "Prosit, prosit" "To prostitution!" "Prosit, prosit" "To prostitution!" "What do you say to that?" "Pretty good." "A loud voice, eh?" "That's right." "I've got a loud voice." "I've got a very, very loud voice." "Don't look so deep into my eyes." "Look at me." "Sure." "I'm looking at you." "What a woman dreams in spring" "All those foolish, wayward things" "Come here!" "Come on!" "Closer!" "That's right." "Are you a German man?" "German to the core?" "Yeah." "What's your name?" "Franz." "Franz Biberkopf." "Are you a German man?" "Word of honor?" "You're not with the Reds?" "If you are, you're a traitor." "Anyone who's a traitor is no friend of mine." "The Poles, the French, the fatherland for which we shed our blood..." "That's the nation's gratitude!" "Say, you're a real German, aren't you?" "Through and through German?" "Yes." "Yes, I saw it right away that you're a true German," "German to the core." "Where did you serve?" "It doesn't matter where I served." "Today I'm out of work." "Does it help me today where I served?" "You see?" "That's the injustice of this world." "The German man is unemployed." "That's how things are." "Cheers." "You know what?" "Because you're German, German through and through, and because you're unemployed, and because that's the justice of this world, and because it shouldn't be that way," "I'm going to tell you something." "Do you know what?" "No." "No." "You couldn't know." "Listen." "I'm the Berlin representative of the Völkischer Beobachter." "Do you know what the Völkischer Beobachter is?" "Well, l" "Exactly." "That's what I say." "It's the only newspaper a sensible person can read today." "And because that's my opinion, and because it's your opinion," "I'm going to give you a chance, I am." "That's right." "What I always say is:" "Germany for the Germans again!" "Am I right?" "Cheers." "Cheers." "Pickled herring in first-class spiced sauce!" "Tender fish fillets!" "Pickled herring in fine spiced sauce!" "Delicate fish with gherkins!" "There." "That looks good, doesn't it?" "Right." "That looks good." "Is there anything else?" "What do you mean?" "Well, the way you're looking at me..." "No." "I was just considering whether I'd forgotten something." "Oh, well, it'll be okay." "Good luck, then." "Thanks." "There." "I knew I'd forgotten something." "This is what I forgot." "Is that necessary?" "I mean, do I really have to...?" "What's the matter?" "No need to be ashamed of that armband." "On the contrary, it's an honor." "Well, if you think so..." "Come here." "I'll put it on for you." "There!" "That looks quite different." "There's something solid behind it." "Yeah?" "Maybe you're right." "What do you mean, maybe?" "It looks good, really good, and it has an effect." "Well, good luck again." "Oh, well..." "Völkischer Beobachter." "Read the Völkischer Beobachter." "Only 20 pfennigs." "Völkischer Beobachter." "There must be order in paradise." "Fine hot sausages!" "Hello." "Hello." "New around here?" "Yes." "The Völkischer Beobachter." "Those guys are supposed to be okay, but..." "I sense something else." "Against the Jews, aren't they?" "Personally, I've got nothing against the Jews." "But I am for law and order." "Everyone must see the need for order." "Potsdamer Platz!" "Potsdamer Platz!" "Train to Krumme Lanke." "All aboard for Krumme Lanke!" ""To the German people at the harvest festival!" "Put an end to your illusions, and punish those who deceive you!" "Then the day will dawn when truth will rise from the field of battle, with the sword of justice and shining shield, to vanquish the foe."" "Something wrong, buddy?" "No." "It's nothing." "I guess that's the way it has to be:" "everyone finds happiness according to his own lights." "And anyway, that's how the times are." "I wish you lots of luck, buddy." "Pickled herring in fine spiced sauce!" "Tender fish fillets!" "Pickled herring in spiced sauce!" "I'm Jewish, you know but no hard feelings." "Good luck, anyway." "Thanks." "Hot dogs!" "Hot dogs, gentlemen, hot sausages!" "That's life." "Hot dogs!" "Fine hot sausages!" "Hot sausages!" "Hey, Dreske." "Fine hot sausages!" "You can't just walk by like that." "You can at least say hello." "Hey, that's Biberkopf." "Right." "It's Franz Biberkopf." "With a swastika on his arm." "What's he doing wearing a swastika?" "Pickled herring in spiced sauce." "Tender fish fillets!" "Why are you looking at me like such dopes?" "What do you mean?" "We're just looking at you." "Oh, because of the swastika?" "Because of the swastika?" "Well, Franz, the swastika is a swastika, isn't it?" "Sure." "A swastika is a swastika." "Federalism is anti-Semitism." "The struggle against the Jews is also the fight for the sovereignty of Bavaria!" "The struggle against the Jews is also the fight for the sovereignty of Bavaria!" "So you're making fun of me, Richard." "And why?" "Just because you're married?" "You're 27." "Your wife's 18." "What have you seen of life?" "Nothing." "Less than nothing." "And the armband, Dreske." "Take a good look at it." "There's nothing on it a man can't answer for." "I got out too, just like you, but what happened afterwards?" "Whether the band's red or gold, or black, white and red, it doesn't make a cigar taste better." "It's the tobacco that counts, my boy, outer leaf, filler properly rolled and dried, and where it's from." "That's what I say." "What did we do, Dreske?" "Tell me that." "When I look at you, Franz, all I can say is-- And I've known you a long time." "they've really pulled the wool over your eyes." "Because of the armband?" "And everything else." "Forget it." "You don't need to run around like that." "That's right." "You don't need to, Franz." "Hold it, Richard." "You're a good guy, but this here's something for men." "Having the right to vote doesn't put you on a par with Dreske and me." "They've really conned you." "We had inflation, paper money, millions, billions." "No meat, no butter." "Nothing." "And us?" "We just went around pinching potatoes from the farmers." "Revolution?" "Take down the flagpole, wrap the flag in oilcloth, and put it in the closet." "Let mother give you your slippers, and take off your bright red armband." "All you do is yap about revolution, but your republic's nothing but a calamity." "A bee, a wasp, a bumblebee circles the ceiling, a natural wonder in winter." "Others of its tribe, species, conviction, and genus are dead, either already dead or not yet born." "This solitary bumblebee is enduring the Ice Age, not knowing how or why it should happen to him." "But the sunshine is eons old." "Everything seems ephemeral and trifling when one sees it." "Coming from X miles away, shooting past star Y, the sun shone millions of years before Nebuchadnezzar, before Adam and Eve, before the ichthyosaurs;" "and now it shines in the depths of a subway station." "Franz is sprightly, light, elated." ""As light as air, from heaven I come."" "We just didn't pull it off." "We might as well admit it, or you or whoever was in on it." "There was no discipline." "No one took the lead," "one guy against the next." "We were betrayed, Franz, in 1918-1919 by the bigwigs." "They killed Rosa, and Karl Liebknecht." "People should stick together and do something." "Just look at Russia," "Lenin..." "They stick together." "It's a real bond." "Just you wait!" "Blood must flow." "Blood must flow." "Rivers of blood must flow." "I don't give a damn about that." "The world will go bust with waiting, and you with it." "That's proof enough for me:" "They haven't achieved anything." "That's enough for me." "Not the slightest thing has been achieved." "I don't know what the guys with these armbands will achieve, but that's another matter, and that's all that's important." "Hot dogs!" "Völkischer Beobachter!" "Hot sausages!" "Völkischer Beobachter!" "Only 20 pfennigs..." "Is that a goldfinch?" "A she?" "That's right." "Well, what do you know?" "Such a tiny creature!" "And it doesn't mind the racket here?" "Well, what do you know?" "Ain't that great?" "I wonder if the smoke's good for it with those little lungs?" "It's used to that in here." "It's always smoky in the bar." "It's not so thick yet." "I won't smoke today, so that it doesn't get too thick." "We can open the window later," "without creating a draft." "Yes." "Blood must flow." "Blood must flow." "Rivers of blood must flow." "Good evening, Dreske." "Five beers, Max, and make it quick." "What kind of joint is this?" "A bit quiet, isn't it?" "No pianist?" "Who for?" "It wouldn't pay." "You must know." "Then we'll sing without a piano." "We usually do." "Peoples, hear the signal!" "Rise for the final fight!" "The Internationale" "Fights for human rights" "How did you like the song, buddy?" "Me?" "Fine!" "You've got good voices." "You can sing along." "No, no." "I'd rather eat." "When I've finished eating, I'll sing along, or I'll sing something on my own." "That's a promise." "Cheers!" "There was a guy who ate a sausage sandwich." "In his stomach, it thought better of it." "It came back up again and said:" ""You forgot the mustard!"" "Only then did it go down properly." "That's what a real sausage sandwich does with a good pedigree." "Come on now." "Okay, okay." "Leave it to me." "How about it?" "Are you gonna sing something for us now?" "Sure." "If I make a promise, I keep it." "It drips when you come into the warm." "Sniffing doesn't help." "Well, then..." "What should I sing for them?" "They don't know anything about life, but a promise is a promise." "I know a poem from a guy in prison, a nice poem." "Should you want to be a man And live upon this earth as best you can" "Before the moment of your birth By woman wise, give it due consideration" "For the world's a vale of lamentation!" "First, Good Father State will tend" "To keep you on a string From start to end" "Tormenting you with special tools A maze of paragraphs and rules" "His first commandment reads:" ""Pay up, whether old or young!"" "The second law is "Hold your tongue!"" "Existing in a twilight state" "Bewilderment's your lifelong fate" "The years have left their mark on you" "Moth-eaten hair bears witness too" "Your frame begins to crack and creak" "Your withering arms and legs Grow weak" "The porridge curdles in your head" "And ever thinner grows the thread" "In short, you see that autumn's here You breathe your last and disappear" "Yeah." "That was written by a guy in prison." "It was a long time ago, but I've remembered it." "It's good, isn't it?" "Something for life, but it's bitter." "Then just remember that bit about the state:" ""Good Father State,"" "keeping you on a string." "Learning it by heart ain't enough." "By no means." "Well, they don't have oysters and caviar any more than we do." "You have to earn your money." "It must be hard for a poor devil." "You can be happy you've got your legs and you're outside." "You can earn your money in different ways." "What about it, then?" "Are you going to sing us a song?" "You make a promise and don't keep it." "Okay, okay." "You'll get your song." "When I make a promise, I keep it." "There comes a call like thunder's roar" "Like clash of swords Waves dashing on the shore" "Summoned by the drums to fight" "My comrade, marching at my side" "Advanced in step with me" "Advanced in step with me" "A bullet came flying free" "Meant for you or meant for me?" "Him it struck, tore him away" "At my feet he lies this day" "As if a part of me" "As if a part of me" "I want to reach out to you" "But as I load my carbine" "I can't extend my hand" "Stay, then, in the Promised Land" "Good comrade mine" "Good comrade mine" "Good comrade mine" "Good comrade mine" "Get off the table!" "There comes a call like thunder's roar!" "There wasn't a better friend!" "To the Rhine, the German, German Rhine!" "Guardians all we'd be of thine" "Rest easy, dear fatherland of mine!" "Rest easy, dear fatherland of mine!" "Strong and true stands the watch" "The watch on the Rhine" "Strong and true stands the watch" "The watch on the Rhine" "My God, there must be other chairs in this place!" "What did you eat?" "I said there must be other chairs in this place if you use your eyes." "That's not what we're talking about." "I want to know what you've been eating." "Cheese sandwiches, you big ox." "There's the rind for you, you ass." "I can smell that they were cheese sandwiches." "But where did they come from?" "I won't have any brawling here." "No fighting in my bar!" "If you can't keep the peace, out you go!" "Keep out of the way!" "There won't be any fighting here." "We're just settling a score." "If anyone breaks anything, he'll have to pay for it." "I have surrendered." "As long as they don't touch me..." "As long as they don't touch me!" "I don't mind them, but there'll be trouble if he lays a finger on me." "What kind of two-bit guy is this, Dreske?" "Franz!" "I beg you." "Let him speak!" "Fascists are entitled to speak, whatever they have to say." "They have freedom of speech here." "See what you've started with your stuff and your songs?" "No, I'm not interfering." "There was never anything like this here." "There comes a call like thunder's roar" "Fascist!" "Butcher!" "Hand over that armband." "And make it snappy." "Hand over the armband, I said!" "Give me that armband." "I'll take it away from him." "Get out of here, Biberkopf." "I was just waiting for Lina." "I sit here every evening." "But this is the first time" "I've seen these two guys here." "You're a Fascist!" "The armband's in your pocket." "You're a Nazi!" "I told Dreske why." "I explained it all to him." "But you don't understand." "That's why you're yelling." "You were yelling "The Watch on the Rhine."" "If you kick up a racket like this, and sit on my table, there'll never be peace in the world." "Not that way." "There must be peace in the world, so we can work and live." "Factory workers, tradespeople and everyone, so that there's order." "Otherwise, we won't be able to work at all." "What will you loudmouths live on?" "You're drunk with words!" "All you can do is make trouble and make others hateful, till they really get malicious and smash you one." "Would you let anyone tread on your toes, you crooks?" "You don't know what you're doing." "Knock the fancy ideas out of your heads!" "You're ruining the whole world." "Be careful that nothing happens to you, you cutthroats, you heels." "I did time in Tegel." "It's a terrible life." "What a life!" "The guy in my poem just now, he knows how things were for me." "He knows exactly how things were for me." "Ida!" "God..." "Just don't think about it." "Just don't think about Ida!" "You can't tell me about that!" "There's nothing you can tell me!" "Nothing at all." "No one can come here and tell me about things, none of you." "We all know better." "We didn't lie out there in the trenches so that you could come and hound us, you agitators!" "There must be peace!" "Peace!" "There has to be peace!" "Peace, nothing but peace!" "I'll do something, grab someone by the throat." "No, no..." "I'm going to fall, hit the ground." "I thought the world was at peace, that there was order!" "But there's something wrong with the world." "There they stand." "Terrible!" "I sense it, and I see myself here." "In Paradise, there lived two people," "Adam and Eve." "And Paradise was the glorious Garden of Eden, where bird and beast played." "The cloud has passed." "Thank God, it's passed." "The timber magnates insist on their warrant." "Krupp lets his pensioners starve." "One and a half million unemployed:" "an increase of 226, 000 in 15 days." "I'm going." "The pleasure was all mine." "I'm not responsible for what goes on in your heads." "What I owe, I'll pay tomorrow, Max." "Sorry, Dreske, that something like this had to come between us." "Thee in victory wreath we hail Potatoes with a herring's tail" ""Let the despicable, renegade scoundrels, encouraged by the bourgeoisie and social chauvinists, disparage the constitution of the Soviets." "It simply accelerates and deepens the rift between the revolutionary workers of Europe and the supporters of Scheidemann and so on." "The oppressed masses are on our side."" "What's the matter?" "Did something happen?" "Basically, they're not like that at all." "They just don't know how to cope with all that hot blood." "If they had been in Tegel or had some experience behind them, maybe it would dawn on them." "Lina!" "Oh, Lina, I thought you wouldn't come at all." "Lina, my little one you know I love you so." "What happened, Franz?" "Something must have happened." "What should have happened?" "What can have happened when I tell you I love you so?" "What should have happened?" "It's okay, Franz." "Go ahead and do it, Franz." "A bite from you..." "End of part two, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "They could put on more street lamps." "What do people expect if they won't let a guy work?" "What happened, Franz?" "Oh, nothing." "I nearly had some trouble." "I had the chair in my hand." "Thank God I didn't have to hit anyone." "I didn't want to." "If I hit someone," "I'm always in the wrong." "Yeah, that's how it is with a guy like me, who's assaulted someone." "You're always in the wrong." "And they condemned me for being in the wrong." "Why are you looking at me like that?" "I haven't done anything." "Nothing happened." "I'm here with you." "Trouble because of the swastika?" "Yes." "There were some guys I used to hang around with." "Reds." "I used to believe what they told me." "With most of the jobs you get today, there's something fishy." "You said I should sell the Völkischer Beobachter." "You said so yourself." "Sure I said so, and I hoped it would work out." "But I knew something would happen in the end." "That's the point, Lina:" "I can't understand what you said." "My head's as stupid as it is empty." "Franz, I've got an idea." "Drop the whole newspaper business and the Völkischer Beobachter." "It'll only get you into trouble." "If you think so, then we'll drop it." "Just forget it." "It occurred to me:" "I've got an uncle." "You've got an uncle?" "You never told me about him." "Well, he's not really my uncle." "He was a friend of my father's." "He was at our place occasionally when I was a kid." "A few times." "He's okay." "He's sure to know something that will help us out of this state of never knowing what's going to happen." "He'll help us for sure." "Part 3:" "A Hammer Blow to the Head Can injure the Soul" "Little Lina!" "Little Lina Przybilla from Czernowitz." "How long has it been?" "Ten years at least, maybe 12." "That's right." "Twelve years." "It must be all of 12 years." "Twelve years!" "What about" "Aunt Elizabeth?" "She died some time ago." "Simply died, without any warning." "She just died on me." "Simply...died." "Lina!" "And this is your fiancé, is it?" "Yes, this is Franz, my fiancé." "Tegel!" "That's right." "Four years." "Out of work, eh?" "That's right." "Unemployed for two years." "My name's Franz." "And I'm Otto." "Hey, he's okay, your uncle." "So is he, your fiancé." "Like something to drink?" "Well, if you've got a beer." "Beer's about the only thing I do have in my place." "It seems to be a contagious disease:" "Unemployment." "Somehow contagious, isn't it?" "Yeah," "I guess it is." "Here, look at this." ""Through misfortune to fortune."" ""It's Better to Walk with a Friend"" "by E. Fischer." "Strange, a newspaper with poems on the front page." "Walking alone:" "A path of stone" "With faltering tread" "The heart afraid" "It's better to walk with a friend" "When you would fall" "Who helps you stand?" "And when you're tired Who lends a hand?" "It's better to walk with a friend" "Quiet traveler, through" "Time and tide" "Let Christ our Savior be your guide" "It's better to walk with a friend" "He knows the path" "He knows your need" "He'll help you on with word" "And deed" "It's better to walk with a friend" "Lovely, isn't it?" "Depends how you look at it." "Right now, I'd rather have some booze." "There you go." "Thanks." "Cheers." "Cheers." "You've been out of work for two years?" "That's right." "Almost exactly two years." "But I don't worry about it." "There's more than enough to do." "And how do you get by all on your own and unemployed?" "Oh, you know," "I've got something going with shoelaces." "I've tried a few other things now and then, but shoelaces are the best thing." "They're the least hassle, and shoelaces are something people always need." "Shoelaces." "What do you say to that?" "Shoelaces?" "What should I say?" "Shoelaces!" "Shoelaces!" "Right." "Shoelaces." "Listen..." "I'm just asking about the shoelaces, I mean." "Do you think one could do something for Franz, with shoelaces?" "Why not?" "Shoelaces always sell." "One more or less won't make any difference." "Shoelaces, Franz!" "Come on!" "Be happy!" "Yeah, I got the message." "Shoelaces." "Okay, I'm happy as well." "Shoelaces..." "Why didn't I think of that myself?" "I knew Uncle Lüders could help us." "I knew it all along." "You knew it all along, that's right." "Cheers." "Cheers." "Cheers." "Mr. Meck is here." "He's been waiting in your room for some time." "I think he's asleep." "When I was in there just now, he was fast asleep." "On your feet!" "Police!" "Meck!" "You know, Franz, you can scare a guy to death like that." "Some guys for sure, Meck, but only some guys." "You can't scare everyone to death like that." "A guy has to know why." "You scared the daylights out of me." "You haven't been around for a long time, Meck." "I've been away for a few weeks, recuperating." "Yeah, recuperating for a few weeks." "Oh, so that's what they call it nowadays:" ""Recuperating." I see." "No, no, not what you think." "I really was recuperating, not exactly taking the waters, but looking after my health." "And otherwise?" "Well, when I came back today," "I went to the bar to see Max, and he told me the story about Dreske and the swastika and the Völkischer Beobachter and all that." "So I thought" "I'd drop by." "Maybe I can help you." "And how?" "How do you want to help me?" "You know, Franz, that's..." "That's not so easy to say." "I just thought, since you've had problems with everything so far, I thought" "Don't turn around now." "I'm getting undressed." "I won't turn around, Lina." "Don't worry." "Okay, out with it!" "It's not so easy to explain." "I just thought because thing's haven't worked out so far," "I just thought..." "Is it--?" "Is it some crooked deal?" "Crooked deal?" "My God, Franz." "Don't forget the times we're living in." "How's a guy supposed to earn his money?" "No, Meck." "Sorry." "Even if I were to starve," "I swore it." "I swore I'd stay clean, that I'd never do anything illegal again, that I'd stay clean." "I swore it, and I'm sticking to it, even if I starve." "I thought maybe I could help you." "Thanks, Meck." "I know you mean well." "But when I swear something, that's final." "And anyway," "I'm going into shoelaces now." "Maybe it'll work out this time." "Shoelaces?" "Yes, from door to door." "My God." "Shoelaces are something people always need." "Sure." "No hard feelings." "Bye, Franz." "Bye, Lina." "Bye, Meck." "I believe in us, Franz." "I believe in us all the way." "You take the right-hand side." "I'll take the left." "Okay?" "Well, you know," "I've done the right-hand side for five days in a row, and almost everything's gone wrong." "Let me take the left-hand side." "I might have more luck." "Let the man have his head." "I'm not fixed on the left." "Thanks, Otto." "I'm sure I'll have more luck on the left." "And you can manage just as well on the right." "We'll meet at Max's." "Okay?" "See you later, Franz, at Max's." "Good luck." "Thanks." "I can use it." "Happy he, who forgets what can only cause regrets" "Yes, what is it?" "Shoelaces, madam, in every conceivable color and three different lengths." "You know yourself how quickly shoelaces break." "I'm sure your husband needs shoelaces of some kind." "My husband is dead." "Oh, excuse me." "I beg your pardon." "I'm very sorry for you, really." "You don't have to apologize." "You couldn't know." "I've just made some coffee." "Maybe, if you'd like, there's enough for both of us." "With pleasure." "That's always good." "Something warm, I mean." "Coffee or whatever." "Well, then, come in." "Come on in." "You can put your things on the chest." "Was that your husband?" "Yes, that was my husband." "For a moment, I thought he was standing in front of me." "I thought he'd come back, risen from the dead." "That's what I thought." "It..." "It wasn't long ago, was it?" "No." "It wasn't long ago." "You know, the longing devours you, eats the flesh from your bones." "Thank you." "Have you seen a man in furs?" "In furs?" "No, nobody specifically in furs." "Okay, thanks." "Have you seen a man wearing furs?" "No." "About time too!" "Peas with pigs' ears, twice, Max!" "Two peas with pigs' ears." "Okay." "Hey, did you win the lottery?" "No." "What's up then?" "Guess." "Come on, out with it!" "What happened?" "Well," "just look at that." "Two tenners!" "How are things looking now?" "That's what we've earned." "Twenty marks." "Our earnings." "Do you understand?" "Well, I'll be." "And not what you think, nothing underhanded." "All aboveboard, Otto, completely straight, perfectly correct, you understand?" "Here you go." "Change that, Maxie." "I need two fivers." "Okay." "Have you seen a man in furs?" "No." "Have you seen a man in furs?" "I ring the doorbell, and a woman opens." "I ask her if she needs anything for her husband." "When I look closer, I see she's a widow." "Dressed all in black, you know." "Well, she looks at me." "She gives me a strange look." "I had no idea what was going on." "Then she asks me if I'd like a cup of coffee." "Of course I'd like a cup of coffee." "So we go inside, where there's a photo of her deceased husband." "He looked like me, could have been my twin brother." "Anyway, we drink coffee." "She drinks coffee." "I drink coffee." "And then..." "Then she says she feels so lonely and all that." "You know." "Here you are." "Thanks." "There, Otto." "Yes, but" "No buts!" "I left my bo- at her place because I want to go back." "You understand?" "Yeah." "And where was it?" "The very first entrance I went in." "One flight up, the first door where I rang the bell." "What is it?" "My friend, you know who I mean." "He was here yesterday." "He left his things here." "What's the game?" "Nothing at all, madam." "Why are you trembling?" "I'm supposed to pick up the merchandise." "Oh, I see." "The merchandise." "Of course." "Here's the package." "Thank you." "Why are you trembling, lady?" "It's nice and warm in here, very nice and warm here." "Could you make a coffee for me too?" "Did he tell you anything else?" "What did he tell you?" "Who?" "My friend?" "Nothing else." "What should he have said?" "What else should he tell me about the coffee?" "And I've got the merchandise now." "I'll just go in the kitchen." "So that's where she did it with him." "Here's a cup for you." "Aren't you having one, to keep me company?" "No, no, my tenant will be back soon." "He's got the room there." "Is that all?" "Stop pretending!" "He won't come now." "He's at work at this time of day." "Well, my friend didn't say anything else." "I was just supposed to pick up the merchandise." "Nice and hot, this coffee." "It's cold outside, isn't it?" "What should he have told me?" "That you're a widow?" "Well that's true." "It's true, isn't it?" "Yes." "What happened to your husband?" "Is he dead?" "I have work to do." "I have to cook." "Hey, what's the hurry?" "You're only young once." "Please go." "You've got your things." "I don't have any time!" "Don't get uppity with me." "You'll be calling the cops next." "You don't have to on my account." "I'm going." "You don't mind if I finish my coffee first?" "All of a sudden, you don't have any time." "Recently, though, you know when I mean, you had all the time in the world." "A fine state of affairs." "I'm not like that." "I'm going." "Okay, hand over the cash." "Or is that only when you've had the guy?" "You see, there are no secrets among friends." "To me, you're an old slut who wears a black dress." "I'd like to smash you one in the face." "You're just like all women." "Once there was paradise divine." "The waters teemed with fish." "Trees sprouted from the ground, and the animals played: the beasts of the earth, fish and birds." "There was a rustling in one of the trees:" "a serpent." "A serpent, a serpent stretched out its head." "A serpent lived in paradise, more cunning than all the other beasts of the field." "And it began to speak, and spoke to Adam and Eve." "Strange that Otto's not here yet." "He was always on time, every morning." "You know he's got stomach trouble." "Maybe he's had another attack." "He gets them sometimes." "He told us about them." "Yeah, maybe he's got stomach trouble again." "Lina!" "Yes?" "If..." "If Otto really doesn't come..." "Oh, no, Franz." "Please." "Not again this morning." "What's the matter, Lina?" "You like it, don't you?" "You like it just as much as I do, don't you?" "Yes." "Sure I like it just as much as you do, but you're like the devil sometimes." "Aha, I'm like the devil, am I?" "And what would you say if I weren't like the devil?" "Would you be so happy and contented then?" "There you are." "But this morning, Franz," "I'm really exhausted." "Really!" "Okay, then we'll forget it this morning." "Don't want to force anyone." "A person has to be free." "What are you doing now?" "Are you going out alone?" "What else should I do?" "Should I sit around here the whole day waiting?" "In the end, he won't show up at all." "Good morning, Mr. Biberkopf." "Good morning, Miss Lina." "Can I help you?" "No, thanks, Mrs. Bast." "I can manage alone." "Well, bye then." "Bye, Mrs. Bast." "There's something special about Mr. Biberkopf, you must admit." "Yes, something special, isn't there?" "Yes." "You're right." "There's something special about Franz." "Yes?" "Is your mom at home?" "My mom's in the hospital." "My grandma's out shopping, and I can't let anyone in." "Sorry." "Good day, madam." "Shoelaces?" "I don't need shoelaces." "I've got buckled shoes." "Buckled shoes." "Buckled shoes, buckled shoes." "Yes?" "Excuse me, madam, I..." "Eva!" "Franz." "My God!" "I..." "I mean, I had no idea you," "you lived here." "This is Oscar's place." "He's been a client of mine for 18 months now." "What are you selling there?" "What I'm..." "Oh, I sell this and that..." "Shoelaces." "Yeah, I sell shoelaces." "I see." "You sell shoelaces" "Yeah, I sell shoelaces." "Well, then I'll buy." "I'll buy some from you." "No." "No." "No, no." "What's up, baby?" "Oh, nothing." "Some guy selling shoelaces." "Good morning." "Good day to you." "I have to buy some flowers, miss." "But I'm not sure..." "I'm not quite sure what kind they should be." "The thing is, they have to mean:" ""The past keeps following you, driving you on and on, driving you someplace where there's no future."" "Do you understand?" "Yes, I understand you." "What you need are carnations." "White carnations, sir." "White carnations?" "But they're flowers for death, aren't they?" "Yes, sir." "But you asked for flowers for a death, didn't you?" "Who's there?" "The mailman." "Is she out of her mind?" "Maybe she didn't recognize me." "I need my stuff." "My merchandise!" "I should take an a- and break the door down." "What's the use?" "Nothing's any use in this world." "You've been sitting there like that for three hours." "It's no good brooding." "There's no sense in brooding, especially if it doesn't help." "Only yesterday he told me how fond of me he was, my Franz." "Only yesterday he said it." "And I've been knitting a cardigan for him, a brown woolen cardigan." "It's almost finished." "You must eat something, Miss Lina." "You have to eat, otherwise you'll fall sick." "Just leaves me without saying a word," "as if I were to blame for something." "I didn't do anything to him." "Did I?" "Did I do him any harm?" "Did I hurt him?" "Did I make him suffer?" "Did I take something from him?" "Did I rob him of his freedom?" "For God's sake, what have I done?" "You haven't done anything to him." "I'm sure you haven't." "Maybe he got into trouble and had to get away in a hurry." "Oh, no." "Franz didn't get into trouble." "I'm sure of that." "He'd have told me." "I would know about it." "And besides, he swore he'd never do anything bad again." "He swore it, and he meant it seriously." "Franz didn't do anything wrong." "I'm sure of that." "Miss Lina!" "Wait!" "Miss Lina!" "Kisses That Kill" "It was all so wonderful, and you just ran away, Franz." "Franz has gone." "He packed his things and disappeared." "Just calm down." "Lina." "Stop crying." "What happened?" "Nothing happened." "He came home, packed his things and disappeared." "I don't understand it." "Nobody just disappears without some reason." "Something must have happened." "Yesterday, Lüders left a package, and then a little boy brought a letter." "It was for Franz." "And when he read it, his face turned green." "He jabbered something and then just walked out." "He received a letter?" "Who was the letter from?" "No idea." "There was no sender's address on it." "On the front, it just said:" ""Franz Biberkopf." "Confidential." Then he suddenly turned strange, quite different, and started speaking all confused." "He said something about "punishment," I think." "What could have been in the letter that would make him run away like that without saying a word?" "It's not something he'd normally do." "And the package that Lüders left for him, what was in it?" "Some of the shoelaces he was selling, I think." "One thing was funny, though." "At lunchtime today, Lüders came in, and when he saw Franz sitting here, he bolted as if the devil were after him." "Lüders came in, and when he saw Franz, he ran right out again?" "Something's up between the two of them." "Do you know what?" "He always spoke well of Otto, only good things." ""He's a real friend," he said, and he'd share everything with him." "But if he comes in and runs out again when he sees Franz, something's fishy." "The whole thing stinks." "He always spoke well about Otto, said he's a true friend." "Lüders' address, Have you got it?" "Sure." "Come on, then." "Hey, Lina." "Out with it." "What's so important in the middle of the night that you have to talk with me?" "Franz has disappeared, Uncle Lüders." "And I thought you might know something because you've been together with him recently." "Maybe he told you something." "Maybe you know something." "Anything at all." "No, he didn't say anything not a word." "Not even to me." "But something must have happened." "Something must have happened to him." "Something happened to him?" "He probably hightailed it." "What else?" "No, no, uncle." "He's not been up to tricks." "Not Franz." "That doesn't wash with me." "He hasn't done anything." "Not a thing." "He hasn't done anything wrong because he swore he wouldn't and because he's an honest guy." "I'd stake my life on it." "If you don't know anything, I'll go to the police." "They'll know how to find him." "You think he just got lost, and the police should track him down?" "Is that it?" "What should I do, then?" "What am I meant to do?" "You know, Lina, that's how it is in a love affair." "Sooner or later, the day comes..." "Is it true, or am I right, Mr. Meck?" "What do you say?" "Sure, Mr. Lüders." "Sure." "In one way, you're right." "But in this case, I think, Mr. Lüders, in this case, there's something else involved." "What do you mean?" "I..." "I don't quite understand you." "Lina, just look the other way a moment." "Turn around and face the wall." "You stay here." "What's the game?" "Why should she look away?" "What do you want with me?" "You went into the bar." "You saw Franz, then you turned on your heels and ran away." "There must be a reason for doing that." "Right?" "Yes, but it was a coincidence." "As I came into the bar, it occurred to me..." "I didn't really want to go in there at all." "So I went away again." "I..." "You know you're lying." "And you know that I know you're lying." "So why do you do it?" "Why...?" "Why should I lie to you?" "Exactly." "That's precisely what I want to know the reason why you're lying to me." "One thing you should know, Mr. Lüders," "I've got a knife in my pocket." "I always have a knife in my pocket, and I'm not afraid to use it if I have to." "Do you understand?" "And now, I'll give you a piece of advice." "Tomorrow, you'll go and find Franz." "You'll certainly find him, because otherwise I'll come back, and then the knife won't stay in my pocket." "Do you understand?" "Good day." "There's someone asking for you, Biberkopf." "Say I'm not here." "Too late for that." "If that's what you want, we need advance notice." "Hello, Franz." "I'm sorry, Franz, but Meck, and Lina, and..." "Franz Biberkopf has suffered no great mishap." "But he has come to realize that as simple as his aim of going straight may be, there must be some flaw in it." "Get out." "Really, Franz, I don't know what's up with you." "I just don't know what's the matter." "What have I done to you?" "I haven't learned to say in simple words what's going on in my head," "and what you did" "to cause what's going on in my head." "I haven't learned that because if I had learned that" "I'd have learned a lot more as well and what has happened" "would not have happened." "I don't know what's up with you, running away from Lina, and acting so strange." "I swear I don't know what I did to make you behave like that." "It's funny." "I don't even have to look at you now." "I can hear in your voice the lies that are in your head." "Why couldn't I hear that before?" "Okay, Franz." "I thought, maybe I should give you some of the money." "That if I gave you the money, you might forget what happened, even if I can't really understand it." "If you don't stuff that money back in your pocket real fast, Lüders," "I might just do something I don't want to do." "I'll kill you!" "Here, Franz, just look." "I want to give you the money." "We're making a clean sweep, Lüders." "We're making a clean sweep." "Why don't you want it?" "Hey!" "For dust thou art..." "Do you understand?" "Everything has to be clean, everything swept away, everything clean, everything swept away." "There." "That's the end of that." "No more houses collapsing, no more roofs falling on me." "That's all over now." "Once and for all, it's past." "Hey, we'll have to wipe that up." "It'll drip on their heads down below." "It'll make stains." "Dead." "For dust thou art," "and unto dust shalt thou return." ""With your hands you clap, clap, clap." "With your feet you clop, clop, clop."" "He's crazy." "Out of his mind." "Franz is my friend." "And the goldfinch there, the bird..." "He was the only one who understood that it's a living creature, however small it may be." "There you are." "You see, he's crazy." "Everyone knows he is." "He's plain crazy." "Shut your mouth!" "Bring her another cognac, Max." "Okay." "And now come here, Lüders." "Real close." "Franz trusted you." "He thought he had a friend in you." "And what did you do?" "You betrayed him, didn't you?" "That's what you did, isn't it?" "Okay, that's settled, then." "And now give me the address." "Fontanestrasse." "Fontanestrasse 17." "Get out of here!" "Come on, Lina." "Well..." "He left right away, after the other guy had been here." "Maybe half an hour later, but not more." "There, the third bed from the right was his." "See for yourself." "He splashed water all over the room." "Did he say anything else?" "Say anything?" "What should he have said?" "He said he was going, looking for something else." "What should he have said?" "Sure, what should he have said?" "But he must have said something." "After all, people talk." "No, mister." "People are all different, completely different." "Some never stop talking, and there are others who never open their mouths." "Yeah, that's true." "That was his bed, you say?" "That's right." "But not to tell a lie, he did say one thing before he left." "If anyone comes, he said he doesn't want them looking for him." ""Nobody should come looking for me."" "Those were his words." "Excuse me, miss, but you can't lie there." "The bed's freshly made." "I have to rent them." "With times as they are, I need the money." "It wasn't always like that." "It used to be quite different." "ln the old days..." "Yeah, completely different then." "Lina, come along." "I think we'd better go." "Excuse me." "I just had to lie down." "I'm sorry." "That's all right, miss." "It's just that what I have to say, I have to say." "Thanks a lot anyway." "Come on, Lina." "Let's go." "Hey, there's another exit." "Hey, wait." "One thing the gentleman did say, only I didn't understand it because it sounded so strange." "It sounded like he had learned something he wished he hadn't learned, or something like that." "Maybe you can make something of it." "But as I said," "I didn't understand what he meant." "Well, anyway, many thanks, madam." "Don't mention it, sir." "Don't mention it." "Maybe we really shouldn't look for him anymore." "Maybe he needs time to think things over." "Maybe he needs to be alone." "I like you a lot, Lina." "You can come to my place." "Then you wouldn't be alone, and I wouldn't be alone either." "I've always been fond of you." "End of part three, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "Well, Biberkopf, is there a problem?" "No, no." "I just ran out of beer." "I must get some more." "Yes, the beer." "Will I get my milk now?" "Or am I to kick the bucket first?" "There she goes again." "All day long." "Nothing else on her mind than to bug a guy." "She used to be a good woman." "How a person can change." "Nothing in her head but bugging a guy." "Your milk will be ready right away." "Hello, Mrs. Greiner." "Hello, Mr. Greiner." "I need a fresh supply again." "Mr. Biberkopf." "You do go through it quickly." "When you need something, you need it, right?" "How right you are, Mr. Biberkopf." "How right you are." "You can give me a bottle right now too." "Just for the hell of it." "Sure." "I'm afraid we're out of schnapps." "We've run dry." "And all old Greiner does is booze and snooze." "What should your husband do now that he's out of work?" "Most guys just hang around nowadays." "How right you are, Mr. Biberkopf." "That's just what I think." "One thing I don't understand is what they live on over there." "Where?" "In the shoe store over there." "Four big display windows, everything tiptop." "But I've never seen any customers in there." "And they've employed six girls to serve as well." "That is, if there are any customers to serve." "At 80 marks a head a month." "And maybe when they're old and gray, they'll earn 100." "The shoe store belongs to old Mrs. Grillmann." "In the past, it was all quite normal." "The windows weren't so big." "It wasn't so pretentious." "Then she married the manager." "Since then, she's slept in the back and she's having a bad time." "He's a good-looking guy." "He made the shop what it is, but he's not yet 40." "And that's the root of the trouble, Mr. Biberkopf." "Sometimes he comes home late, and she's lying awake." "She's so annoyed, she can't sleep." "That's what you get for marrying a guy younger than yourself." "Cheers." "Cheers." "Part 4:" "A Handful of People in the Depths of Silence" "The importance of fats in nutrition:" "Fat covers bone protuberances and protects against pressure and impact." "Thats why emaciated people complain of pains in their feet when they walk." "Give us another bottle." "Him as well." "One beer's no cheer." "No." "One beer's no cheer." "You can't stand on one leg unless one was shot off in the war, but that's not natural either, is it?" "Well..." "And next to the lawyer there are two fat married couples." "the brother and his wife and the sister with her husband." "They've got a sick girl." "And next to them lives a young baker with his wife." "She's an opera-- An operator." "Yes, an operator at a printer's." "She's got an inflammation of the ovaries." "He told me so." "Oh, yeah?" "She's got an inflammation of the ovaries." "Women." "What do the two of them get out of life?" "Well, they've got each other." "And last Sunday, they went to a stage show and a movie, and sometimes their club meeting, and visits to his parents, and..." "Is that all?" "As if that weren't enough, Mr. Biberkopf." "Not to mention fine weather, and bad weather, standing by the stove, eating breakfast and so on." "What do you have from life, and all the others, the captains and generals?" "What does anybody have from life?" "Let's not kid ourselves!" "And right above them lives the lawyer, Löwenhund, a real skinflint." "Hes got a cleaning woman who sweeps the floor in his waiting room." "Hes too cheap to get a vacuum cleaner." "And the guys not even married!" "The cleaning woman scrubs and cleans." "Shes terribly skinny, but really supple for someone whos had two kids." "Yes, Mr. Biberkopf, thats stinginess for you." "I refute the assumption made by the district court that wild rabbits in the Grand Duchy of Saxony Altenburg may be regarded as fair game for hunting." "And in the rear block lives a waiter with his wife." "Nicely furnished." "a gas chandelier with glass pendants." "Hes at home till 2." "He sleeps and plays the zither." "His wife works in a department store as a supervisor or something, or so she says." "Hes been married before, but his first wife must have cheated on him something terrible." "She always managed to console him and make it up." "But in the end he left her." "In the divorce proceedings, he was found to be the guilty party because hed run away." "He couldnt prove shed cheated on him." "Then he met his present wife who was looking for a man." "You know what I mean?" "Its always the same." "Shes the same type as his first wife, exactly the same, only a little smarter." "He doesnt notice it when she cheats on him." "it was not possible." "Full stop." "I firmly hope to be able to visit you next Wednesday and ask you to be patient until then." "Sincerely yours..." "Dear Mr. Tollmann:" "Concerning your daughter's case, I have to request further fees amounting to 200 marks." "Payment in installments would be acceptable." "And above them, right next to you at Baumanns place, is where we live." "Greiner here does the administration as well." "Hes okay really." "He curbs his drinking, but sometimes he really lets himself go." ""The security companies guard everything." "They walk around here walk through the place, keep an eye on things, put in clocks, burglar alarms." "Guard duty and security service for greater Berlin." "German Security Service," "Greater Berlin Security Service, and former Security Division of the Proprietors' Association of Berlin Landowners," "United Management, Security Headquarters of the West," "Security Company."" "Sherlock Holmes collected works by Conan Doyle." "Watching service." "Washing service." "Apollo Laundry Rental." "Adler Laundry for handwashed garments and underwear, specialists in gentlemen's and ladies' fine underclothes."" "personal liability for diseases:" "Higher Regional Court, Frankfurt, 1C5." "The acceptability of sexual intercourse for married men may be subject to less criteria." "Legally speaking, however, one has to admit that a personal liability does exist." "That extramarital intercourse, as Staub says:" ""is an extravagance which entails certain risks..." comma," ""and anyone indulging in this extravagance..." comma," ""has to bear the risks."" "In conformity with this ruling, an infection from extramarital intercourse on the part of a person with obligations arising from his terms of employment as an act of gross negligence..." "Excuse me, lady, but..." "Yes?" "Well..." "It's just that..." "I don't know..." "You see..." "You come in here and..." "What do you mean?" "Is something wrong?" "You winked at me, didn't you?" "Sure..." "I may have winked at you, but..." "Does that mean you don't want to...?" "Oh, great!" "First you wink." "Then you chicken out." "Oh, what do I care?" "Limp dick!" "And on the second floor, heres an old guy." "Hes 64, a furniture polisher." "Hes bald." "His daughters divorced." "She looks after his household." "See him coming out every morning." "Hes got heart trouble." "I can see it." "He drinks a shot of liquor here occasionally." "Hell have himself put on the sick list soon:" ""Coronary sclerosis," he said, and "myodegeneratiocordis."" "I remember the words, even though theyre so hard." "He used to be a sculler apparently." "But what can he do now?" "Read the paper in the evening and light his pipe, while his daughter gossips in the hall." "Shes a real gossip." "It must have been me." "What a guy carries around with him in his stomach." "Cobwebs in a grey corner." "Can't catch any mice either." "Want to drink water." "Whose business is it what I do?" "Whose business is it?" "If I want to sleep, then I'll sleep till the day after tomorrow without moving." "And if I feel like lying around till the day after tomorrow, then I'll lie around." "Whose business is it?" "Whose business is it what I do?" "Yeah?" "I heard you vomiting last night." "It sounded terrible, but I thought in the night there was no way I could help you anyway." "So I didn't come." "First of all, you idiot, what right do you have to say anything to me?" "Secondly, if I choose to stay in this stinking hole from 8 to 12, whose business is it?" "Don't worry about it." "I'll clean it up." "I'm used to that from the war." "I was a medical orderly." "I had to clean up worse things than that." "It really doesn't bother me." "Did you" "lose your heart to nature?" "I didn't lose my heart there, but I felt as if a primeval spirit were trying to tear me forth, when I stood face to face with the Alpine giants, or lay on the shore of the roaring sea," "for it surged and seethed in my bones." "My heart was in tumult, yet" "I lost it neither there where the eagle nests, nor where the miner probes in hidden veins for ore." "Where then?" "Did you lose your heart to sport?" "In the roar of the Youth Movement?" "In the turmoil of politics?" "I didn't lose it there." "So you haven't lost it anywhere?" "Are you the type of person who doesn't lose his heart anywhere," "but keeps it for himself, conserves it clinically, mummifies it?" "Are you saying death is the end of everything?" "Is belief still possible?" "Tuesday:" "Can people change themselves?" "Wednesday:" "Who is righteous in God's eyes?" "Good day, Reverend." "I'm Franz Biberkopf, a worker, a casual laborer." "I was a furniture mover, unemployed." "I wanted to ask you something." "How can I stop my stomach pains, heartburn, acid indigestion?" "Here it comes again!" "No-ious bile!" "It comes from drinking a lot." "Excuse me for accosting you like this on the street." "Am I keeping you from your work?" "But what can I do about this horrible bile?" "One Christian has to help another." "You're a good person, but I won't go to heaven." "And why?" "If criminals exist, I can tell you all about them." "Loyal and true, we swore it to Karl Liebknecht." "We stretch out our hands to Rosa Lu-emburg." "I'll go to paradise when I die, and they'll bow down before me and say:" ""That's Franz Biberkopf, loyal and true, a German." "Does odd jobs, loyal and true." "High flies the banner, black, white and red." "But he kept it to himself." "He didn't turn to crime like the others who want to be Germans, and who cheat their fellow citizens."" "If I had a knife," "I'd stick it in his gut." "Now it's your turn to run to the preacher, my boy." "Boy, oh, boy!" "Go ahead, if you think it's fun and you can still squawk." "Loyal and true." "I'll not have anything to do with it, Reverend." "It's not for me." "Scoundrels don't even belong in prison." "Not even in prison." "I've been to prison." "I know it inside out." "First-class merchandise." "A great opportunity." "There's no two ways about it." "It's no place for scoundrels." "Two times two is four." "There's no two ways about it." "Here you see..." "Here you see a man..." "Excuse me, but I've got such stomach pains." "I must control myself." "Water!" "Water!" "Water!" "Water!" "Here." "Thanks." "You've been lying there like that for three days, flailing about and shouting, sobbing and groaning." "If you only knew what came out of you:" "all the sweat and wild thoughts." "I've been like this for days?" "For days?" "Days on end." "I was thinking of having you taken away, or getting a doctor." "But I've always believed it's better to let a guy decide for himself what's good for him." "Yeah, you're right." "So, for days." "Boy, I must really have been plastered, huh?" "I don't know." "It wasn't just the alcohol." "There was something else too." "Bullshit!" "What else?" "I just drank too much, that's all." "I simply boozed too much." "I've got to go down and mingle with the people in the street, stretch my legs." "One foot in front of the other, then the other one in front of the first." "That's the answer!" "Franz Biberkopf, strong as a cobra, but unsteady in his legs, went to the Jews on Münzstrasse." "The man wants to put his house in order to sort things out." "Here we go again, Franz Biberkopf." "Cold, but fresh!" "Who'd like to stand in a hallway now, be a street vendor with frozen toes?" "Loyal and true!" "It's good to be out of the parlor, not to have to hear the women shrieking." "Here comes Franz Biberkopf, walking down the street!" "People do the best they can." "They've got kids at home, hungry mouths, gaping like birds' beaks." "Open up and shut again." "Open and shut." "Shut." "Open." "Open." "Shut." "Excuse me, sir." "I'm very sorry." "It's just that the roofs might begin to shake, to swing and shake." "They might slip down like sand, like a cap from your head." "Why, they're all..." "All aslant, sloping over the roof timbers, all in a long row." "Nothing can happen." "They're nailed down, with strong beams underneath." "And there's roofing felt and tar..." "Strong and true stands the watch" "The watch on the Rhine" "Good morning," "Franz Biberkopf!" "Upright we stand, chest out, back straight." "We're German citizens." "That's what the prison warden said." "Good morning, sir!" "The people walk so quietly down the street." "The coachmen unload their goods." "Officials inspect the houses." "There comes a call" "Like thunders roar Like clash of swords..." "Well, then, we can walk along here too." "The guy with the brown wool jacket," "I know him." "I'm sure I know him." "He's got work." "Well, we can do that as well." "Later." "You hold it with your right hand, pull it up, hold it tight," "then down it comes." "That's working people for you." "That's us, the proletariat." "Up the right!" "Down the left!" "Up the right!" "Down the left!" "Man's fate is like that of the beasts." "Just as they die, so does he." "A great white bull is driven into the slaughterhouse." "Open before it." "The hall of blood, with sides of meat with quarters and chopped-up bones." "The great bull has a broad forehead." "With sticks and blows, its driven to the slaughterer who hits it lightly on the hind leg with the flat of the ax." "A drover seizes it around the neck from below." "The animal stops, yields with a strange ease, as though it consented, now that it has seen everything and knows this is its fate, and theres nothing it can do." "Maybe it thinks the drovers movement is a caress." "The man looks so friendly." "It yields to the drover, who pulls it on." "It tilts its head to one side, mouth upward." "The knife plunges into the white bulls throat." "Reddish-black, the blood gushes out over the knife, over the slaughterers arm, exultant, hot blood." "The moment of metamorphosis:" "from the sun your blood came." "The sun hid itself in your body." "Now it comes forth again." "The animal gasps dreadfully, as if it would suffocate, wheezing and rattling." "When Job had lost everything, everything a person can lose, neither more nor less," "he lay in a cabbage patch." "Job, there you lie in a cabbage patch." "Ha, ha!" "Just far enough from the doghouse so that the watchdog can't bite you." "You can hear its teeth gnashing." "The dog barks, comes one step nearer." "When you turn around, begin to stand up, it growls, tears at its chain, leaps forward, slavering and snapping." "Job, there is the palace" "and the gardens and the fields that once were yours..." "And the cabbage patch in which they threw me," "I didn't even know about it, nor the goats they drive by in the morning," "which pass close to me," "tugging at the grass and chewing on it, stuffing their cheeks full." "All that belonged to me." "Job, now you've lost everything." "You may crawl into the shed at night." "Yes." "People are afraid of your sores." "Radiantly you rode through your lands, and the people thronged around you." "Now, before your nose, there's a wooden fence" "with snails crawling up it." "Oh, yes." "And you can study the worms:" "They are the only creatures who do not fear you." "Your scabby eyes, you heap of wretchedness, you living morass, only now and then do you open them." "What torments you most, Job?" "The loss of your sons and daughters?" "The fact that you possess nothing?" "No." "That you're cold at night?" "Or is it the sores in your throat, on your nose?" "What is it, Job?" "Go away!" "Open your eyes as wide as you can." "You want to drive me crazy, to take away my thoughts as well." "And if you did open them, would it hurt?" "I don't want..." "Although your thoughts cause you endless suffering, you don't want to lose them." "No one need waste prayers on me when I'm dead." "I'm poison for the earth." "When I pass, people have to spit." "You can't open your eyes?" "They're glued shut." "They're glued shut." "You lament because you're lying in a cabbage patch, and all that's left to you is the doghouse" "and your sickness." "I have no strength left, that's it." "I have no more strength...to hope." "No desires." "I have no teeth anymore." "I've grown soft." "I'm ashamed." "That's the most terrible thing." "It's written on my forehead." "The game is mine!" "That's what makes you suffer most, Job." "You don't want to be weak." "You'd like to resist, or you'd rather be full of holes, your brain gone, your thoughts gone, wholly beast." "Seventy-three." "Forty-seven." "Heal me if you can." "Whether you're God or Satan, an angel or a man, heal me." "You'll accept healing from anyone?" "Heal me!" "Maybe my price is high and terrible." "Heal me." "I am Satan." "Heal me." "And if I am Satan, how will you settle with me?" "You don't want to heal me." "No one wants to help me, neither Satan nor God, no angel, no man." "And you yourself?" "What about me?" "You don't want to help yourself." "What?" "Who can help you if you don't want to help yourself?" "No, no, no..." "God and Satan, the angels and men:" "They all want to help you." "But you don't want it." "God, because He loves you." "Satan, to possess you later." "The angels and men, because they are God's and Satan's helpers." "But you don't want it." "No, no!" "God and Satan, the angels and men want to help me?" "Nobody wants to help me." "No." "No!" "Just calm down." "That's right." "You're a good beast." "You know it has to happen." "Stockyard, slaughterhouse and market form an indivisible economic unit, with 258 officials, including vets, inspectors, branders, and their assistants, permanent employees, laborers." "Regulations dating from October 4th, 1900, general provisions, entry regulations, fodder supplies." "Scale of fees:" "market, pen and slaughtering fees." "Fees for the removal of feeding troughs from the pig market." "Seventeen times three is 51." "Things are getting expensive." "It's becoming harder and harder to calculate and tougher to keep up with the competition." "On this day, his first sores healed." "The sun rises and sets." "The days grow brighter." "Baby carriages on the streets." "February 1928." "Franz Biberkopf continues to drink in his loathing of the world, in his discontent." "He drinks all he has, come what may." "He wanted to lead a decent life, but theres so much scum around he wants nothing to do with the world anymore." "And even if hes a bum, hell drink his last penny away." "And on the second floor, heres an old guy." "Hes 64, a furniture polisher." "Hes bald." "His daughters divorced." "She looks after his household." "See him coming out every morning." "Hes got heart trouble." "I can see it." "He drinks a shot of liquor here occasionally." "Hell have himself put on the sick list soon:" ""Coronary sclerosis," he said, and "myodegeneratiocordis."" "I remembered those words, even though theyre so hard." "It's me, Franz." "You?" "My God!" "T urn out the light, please!" "Please, please, please, please!" "How did you find me here?" "I've known for a long time you were here." "I always knew where you were." "But now" "I thought:" ""There's just no end to it."" "So I thought I have to help you." "I don't need anyone's help." "I'll help myself." "My God, Franz, you know very well..." "You know very well I still love you." "And now that Ida's not around anymore," "why don't you come back to me?" "Try to get it into your head:" "I don't want a woman earning money for me anymore." "I don't want anyone walking the streets for me." "I swore it." "Do you understand?" "And even if it's full..." "Even if the world's full of meanness, full of filth," "I swore to myself, I'm finished with it." "Understand me, please." "Sure, Franz." "I understand." "Just so you know, I'll always be here for you." "Okay, Eva." "I understand." "It's okay." "And I thank you." "But believe me, I must get out of this alone or it'll be the end of me." "One or the other." "There's no other way." "Leave me now!" "Be a good girl and leave me alone." "Should I leave you some money, maybe...?" "No, thanks, Eva." "I know you mean well, but I..." "Even though I could use it," "I can't take anything, I..." "I just can't." "That's what people are up to." "All day long and at night too." "Up to their crooked tricks." "I should take a flowerpot and pitch it down on them." "What business do those guys have here, where I live?" "You're from the insurance?" "Bauer's the name." "I'm Münzer." "There's nothing we can do." "They've done a clean job." "It's too much, inspector." "The fifth burglary in the wholesale company in 18 months." "These guys are so brazen, they tried to break through the wall, because there's an alarm on the door." "It's too much!" "Well, the walls are damn thin." "The whole building is shaky." "It's like an enormous Easter egg." "And none of you saw or heard anything?" "What was that?" "Did somebody see something?" "Well, do something about it!" "There's too much of it." "There's nothing we can do." "We should look for fingerprints." "Try, at least." "I've already given instructions." "Very good, Wichmann." "I saw that mob, but I'm not going to rat on them." "But if they come here again where I live and sleep," "I'll go down there myself, as sure as my name's Franz Biberkopf." "Did anyone say anything?" "I thought somebody said something too." "Did you hear anything?" "No." "No." "Did you say anything?" "No." "Maybe you should have said something to the police." "I don't rat on anyone, not even on bums like that." "Well, maybe you're right." "Good morning." "Good morning, Baumann." "You know something, Baumann," "I know now what the strangest thing in the world is." "Do you?" "People." "That's right." "Good morning." "Good morning." "Oh, good morning." "I thought I'd drop by..." "Come on in." "Well?" "Lost your thirst, Biberkopf?" "It's like I said:" "The strangest thing in the world is people." "No need to be afraid, Mr. Biberkopf." "I hear everything that goes on next door:" "That the Greiners want to go in with those crooks." "That was their first idea yesterday." "But last night, Greiner changed his mind." "It would be crazy to split it, he said, absolutely crazy." "And why should they?" "He managed to persuade her to do it alone with him, just him and her today." "Here, you don't have any left." "Thanks." "But I thought Greiner had made a deal with those guys." "Yeah, but that was last night." "Now he's decided to put one over on them." "I see." "Can they pull it off?" "The two of them alone?" "What do you think?" "No way." "They don't even trust each other, and that makes it easy to put them over a barrel." "She just spilled it all to the kid over there." "I think she's got her eye on him." "Well?" "Nothing new." "The Greiners are still downstairs." "Old Greiner will have the surprise of his life when the others suddenly turn up." "He'll have to share it with them then." ""Löser and Wolf, Berlin, Elbing, top quality for all tastes." "Brazil, Havana, Mexico," "Little Comforter, Lilliput cigars number 8:" "Twenty-five pfennigs each." "Winter Ballad, pack of 25: 20 pfennigs." "Number 10 cigarillos, unsorted, Sumatra wrapper at a special price" "in boxes of 100:" "10 pfennigs each"" "I beat everything." "You beat everything." "He beats everything." ""With boxes of 50, in cartons of 10." "Dispatch to all countries of the world," "Bolero: 25 pfennigs." "This innovation gained us many friends." "I beat everything." "You fall flat..."" "Be quiet for a moment!" "I think they're coming." "Old Greiner seems pretty mad, pretty mad." "What else?" "They're squabbling." "Now they're starting to drink." "Now they've made up again." "Funny, he doesn't think they might have betrayed him." "What does that mean?" "No, I'm sure it means something." "I think it must mean he loves her more than she loves him." "Yes." "That's it." "You'll be leaving us soon, won't you?" "What do you mean?" "Oh, just a feeling." "I don't know." "But I do." "You're fit again." "You've sweated it all out:" "Your illness, I mean." "Baumann!" "Baumann!" "My God, Baumann, wake up!" "The cops are outside their door, ringing like mad." "They've just woken up." "I reckon you'll be leaving today." "Makes me sad somehow, though I don't know why." "Get in the car." "It's in your own interest to get out of here fast." "What's up, damn it?" "I need the key for my bar in there." "Here's the key." "Now clear off!" "Hello?" "Anybody here?" "He just came in." "He'll be right back, I expect." "You can tell him I brought the crate back." "That's it." "Finished." "Well, then..." "Well, then..." "Well, then..." "Take care, Job." "Thanks," "Satan." "Bitterly cold:" "February." "People wearing overcoats." "Anyone who has a fur wears it." "The women wear thin stockings and freeze, but it looks good." "The steam engine pounds on Alexanderplatz." "A lot of people have time to watch the pile driver pounding away." "Alexanderplatz is one big construction site." "Where do they get the money?" "Berlins a wealthy city, and we pay our taxes." "The workers turn up early from Reinickendorf," "Neukölln, Weissensee, regardless of the cold or wind." "A pot of coffee and sandwiches!" "Weve got to slave away." "Up there are the drones." "They sleep under their eiderdowns and bleed us dry." "Anyone who thinks bread made from subgrade white flour can be improved with artificial additives is deceiving himself and the consumer." "Nature has its own laws and avenges every abuse." "The impaired health of nearly all civilizations today is caused by consuming degraded or artificially refined food." ""Attempts to regulate the sexual life of married couples by contract..."" "Well, I'll be...!" "Biberkopf!" "My God, it's been a long time since we last saw each other." "Yeah, quite some time." "You've been away a long time." "Anything wrong?" "No, nothing wrong at all." "I just..." "I just needed some peace and quiet, to be alone for a while." "Sometimes a guy needs that." "At least I do." "Sure, everyone needs to be alone now and then," "to have time to think things over." "I was thinking" "I'd give the newspapers a try again." "Well, business is pretty quiet just now." "You know, I'm 65 years old now." "Sixty-five." "And suddenly, I had rheumatism in my back, from one day to the next." "Yeah, rheumatism starts when you're 60." "That's right." "The factories are not taking people anymore." "Seven months ago," "I had an operation out in Lichtenberg, in the Hubertus Hospital." "One ball's gone." "Tubercular, they said." "I've lost one ball, but I've still got the pains, I can tell you." "Well, then you'd better be careful." "In the end, it'll be the other one too." "Train to Alexanderplatz." "All aboard!" "Yes, yes." "So, now you're 65, and you've lost one ball," "and you've got rheumatism in your back." "That's life." "You need connections..." "Connections are everything, and you need a good location." "When it rains, it's wet." "And it also depends on what's happening in the world." "Sporting events are good, or a change of government." "When Ebert died, they tore the newspapers from our hands." "Why are you making a face like that?" "Nothing's as bad as it seems." "Just imagine, if something fell on your head, you wouldn't have to worry about anything." "Well, there you are." ""Attack on tenant protection laws." "Zörgiebel pays the penalty:" "'There's no place for me in a party that betrays its principles.'" "English censorship in Amanullah." "News blackout in India." "Crisis in the Reichstag." "Talk of March elections." "Struggle in Central Germany continues." "Arbitration committee to be formed."" "By the way, your friend Meck, he's selling clothes and so on on Clemensstrasse." "He's doing a good trade." "Read all about it!" "Deutsches Tageblatt..." "Well, I'll be!" "Franz!" "Meck!" "Franzy!" "You..." "I could have sworn" "That I was up to my old tricks again?" "No way." "That's over and done with." "You've been looking after Lina?" "Yeah." "She was all alone, felt lonely." "Are you mad about it?" "Bullshit!" "On the contrary." "It's better than having her sit around sad and lonely just because I've gone away." "Where is she now?" "She just left one day." "Yeah, that's how it is." "People meet, get to know each other, then one day, it's all over." "What are you selling here?" "Oh, garments:" "dresses, skirts, pants, windbreakers." "That sort of thing." "Where do you get the stuff?" "Only girls who want support for a kid ask where it came from." "You'll do your deals until you're caught, and that'll be the end of it," "I'm telling you." "End of part four, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "An enormous amount of capital is squandered in the world." "In America, they even let the wheat rot," "whole crops." "Did you know that?" "Sure." "Everyone knows that." "It's even crazier in Australia." "They have prehistoric lizards, huge ones." "They live in swampy, murky pools." "No one knows where they came from." "No one!" "Look at him." "The big shot over there." "He's the boss here." "Which one?" "The well-dressed guy over there." "His name's Pums." "Weird name, isn't it?" "Who's the guy standing next to him whispering?" "That's Reinhold." "He works closely with Pums somehow." "But nobody knows anything for sure." "Meck!" "Part 5:" "A Reaper with the Power of Our Lord" "Come with me." "He wants to meet you." "Wants to say hello." "Sure." "Why not?" "Another beer, please?" "Coming up." "Our friend Meck here has told me a lot about you." "Has he indeed?" "Yes." "He's always going on about his old friend Biberkopf." "Tell me, what line of business are you in?" "Oh, I'm going into newspapers again." "Well, nothing against newspapers, but maybe..." "Maybe we could do some business together sometime." "I deal mostly in fruit." "Why not?" "It depends on the earnings." "You're right." "You are quite right there." "It depends on the earnings." "That's exactly what I say." "Handle that guy with care." "And shake well after use." "Do you know the story of the American who gets married, quite unsuspectingly, thinking his wife's white, but it turns out she's black." ""What?" he says, "You're black?"" "He throws her out..." "When I say I had seven beers, then I had only seven, not eight." "Quiet!" "I should think so too!" "The guy's crazy." "Don't get upset, Max!" "Give us two doubles!" "Coming up." "Here you go." "Cheers, Meck." "Do you reckon he's a communist?" "Who?" "The tall guy over there with the little blond." "Looks as if he had consumption." "They should put him in a sanatorium, and not let him run around like that." "What does he do anyway?" "The same as the rest of us." "Fruit mainly." "Aha!" "Another one in fruit." "What sad eyes the guy has." "He's certainly done time." "Hey!" "Come here a moment." "Go on, you never know what he may want, right?" "He's thinking that I must have done time too." "I'm sure that's what he's thinking." "Well?" "I just bet that you've done time." "And I also bet when you saw me, you thought that I'd done time too." "And you'd be right, buddy." "Four years in Tegel." "So, now you know." "What do you say to that?" "I'm sorry," "I haven't done time, not once." "I was politically active once when I was younger." "We wanted to blow up a gasworks, but someone blew the whistle on us." "They didn't get me, though." "And what do you do now?" "The fruit trade, for example." "I work in fruit, and I help out." "And when there's nothing going, I'm on welfare." "Anything else?" "No, that's it." "Thanks." "Funny, almost everyone here's in the fruit trade." "Fruit." "And they seem to earn well from it." "It's simple:" "Pums supplies us." "Pums is our wholesaler." "No..." "No." "I'll stick with my newspapers." "You know best." "You must know what you're doing." "Goodness me!" "Mr. Biberkopf!" "How nice." "I heard..." "I heard I could have my old room again, my working quarters." "Meck told me." "Yes, that's right." "Quite right." "Well, come on in." "Nothing's changed." "I haven't touched a thing." "Everything's just as you left it." "Only Miss Lina came and took her things, but otherwise everything's as it always was." "Well, thanks very much." "Nonsense!" "No need to thank me." "Well, maybe not..." "My God!" "I've been waiting for three hours, thinking you'd come any second." "What?" "Three hours?" "I'm sorry about that." "Forget it." "You don't have to be sorry." "You couldn't know I was waiting here for you." "What a fool I am." "Don't say that." "You're not a fool." "But the fact that you pay my rent every month..." "That's not necessary." "Do you understand?" "It really wasn't necessary." "Nonsense!" "The room's so cheap I don't even notice it." "And I've been so happy in this room with you." "True, but I also lived" "with Ida in this joint." "And it's here that I struck Ida and killed her." "And afterwards, Lina was here." "I lived with Lina here too." "With Lina, and..." "Come here, Franz." "Come to me." "Let's do it again, here." "Just one more time." "No!" "Please!" "No." "Why not?" "Not like in the past." "Just for fun, because I can't forget you." "It doesn't have to be as it was in the past." "I've known for a long time that you don't want to anymore." "That you don't want to be a pimp anymore." "That doesn't matter." "But this is completely different." "Okay, then." "Labor government in Oslo falls!" "Six-day cycle race in Stuttgart ends!" "Si--day race in Stuttgart ends!" "Hands up!" "Did you scare me!" "Are you two out for a walk?" "Just strolling around." "Fränze wanted to do some window-shopping." "You know her." "You saw her that first evening when you came back." "Hello." "Hello." "If you can afford things, you can go window-shopping." "That's right." "If you go window-shopping, but can't afford anything, it's depressing." "Pretty cold today." "Yes." "It's pretty cold today." "Are you dropping by this evening?" "Yes." "Great." "We can have a drink together." "That's great." "Come on, now." "See you this evening." "See you this evening." "Bye." "Labor government in Oslo falls!" "Labor government in Oslo falls!" "Si--day cycle race in Stuttgart ends!" "Labor government in Oslo falls!" "Oh, it's you." "Do you have a second?" "No." "You'll have to wait." "My bladder's full." "And when I start to pee, it never stops." "Take your time." "I can wait." "Women!" "These idiotic, crazy women." "Nothing but trouble;, always the same old crap." "Always the same old bullshit with women." "Boy, oh, boy." "You sure take the broads seriously." "I'd never have thought it of you." "What do you mean "seriously"?" "You know Fränze, who's always trailing around with me?" "You've seen her, haven't you?" "Sure." "The girl you're always with." "Exactly." "She's married to a drayman who works for a brewery or something." "Well, Fränze ran out on him, you see?" "She left him for me." "What more do you want?" "What more can a woman do than leave another guy for you?" "That's just it." "I don't want her." "I can't stand the sight of her anymore." "Then let her go." "That's what's so difficult." "Women don't get the message, not even if it's in writing." "Have you given it to her in writing?" "I've said it a hundred times." "But she says she doesn't understand." "Says I must be crazy." "She can't understand it." "So I have to keep her-- What do I know?" "Until I kick the bucket or something." "Well, maybe you do?" "You see, that's what she says." "My God, don't be so stupid!" "Hold on, it's none of my business." "You're such a sharp young guy, planning to blow up the gasworks and all that." "But in a situation like this, you sit there singing the blues." "I don't understand you." "Take her off my hands." "And what should I do with her?" "You can give her the boot." "Okay," "I'll take her off your hands." "You can rely on me." "But you'll end up in diapers again if you're not careful." "Thanks, Franz." "I knew I could count on you." "You'll have to try her out first, of course, but I reckon she'll be right up your alley." "She's really okay." "Tomorrow at noon, I'll send her over to your place." "I'll give her something to deliver to you." "Then you can slip it to her." "You can handle it." "It's no problem with broads." "You'll manage." "And then, when she wants to go home," "I won't be there." "She doesn't have a key, so she'll look for me, but she won't find me anywhere." "Besides, she'll have a bad conscience." "So, what will she do?" "She'll go back to you." "And I'm rid of her." "It's as simple as that." "whether all the relay runners are ready, and the track referees are in position." "The tension's rising..." "Come in." "That lady's here again, who came at lunchtime." "She says she has to talk to you again." "She's all upset." "Shall I...?" "Yes, let her in, Mrs. Bast." "It must be Fränze." "Isn't that funny?" "Her name's Fränze and mine's Franz." "I'm sure you'll like her." "Go on, then." "Let her in." "As you wish, Mr. Biberkopf." "Come in, miss." "Mr. Biberkopf will see you now." "The man's too good-hearted." "I've always said so." "Franz." "Hey, Fränze." "Why are you crying?" "What's happened?" "Mrs. Bast." "After I left you here, I go home, but I realize I don't have a key." "So I ring the bell, and who doesn't open?" "Reinhold." "So I think, "Maybe he's out boozing." "Sure he is."" "So I go to all the bars where he might be, all the places I've been to with him." "Normally, he doesn't drink, only very rarely." "But when he does drink, he really knocks it back, and I know I'll find him somewhere." "But then I realize he's not to be found anywhere." "So I go back home and ring and ring the bell." "But no one opens the door." "Then I see my suitcase in front of the door, so I think I'll come back to your place." "Come on, Fränze, stop weeping." "It upsets me when a girl cries like that." "Fränze, stop it." "You didn't tell him about what happened at lunchtime, did you?" "My God, Fränze." "How can you think I'd do such a thing?" "You should be ashamed." "First, I haven't seen Reinhold;" "and second, I'd never let on about something like that." "No way." "Never." "You're right." "I should be ashamed of myself." "You'd never do a thing like that." "Forgive me, please." "All's forgiven." "Thanks." "But what am I going to do now?" "What on earth am I going to do?" "What should you do now, Fränze?" "The logical, most sensible thing." "That's what you should do." "Yes, but what is the most sensible thing?" "What is it, Franz?" "The most sensible thing is for you to stay here." "Do you want to run around at night in the cold?" "You'll catch your death of cold..." "My God, it's so nice with you." "You see." "And we go so well together." "This way and that way too." "Yes, we go well together, Franz." "Especially since your name's Fränze and mine's Franz." "I'll tell you what I'll say to him." ""Reinhold," I'll say, "don't worry about me." "I don't need you anymore." "I've got someone else." "It's none of your business who he is,"" "I'll tell him." ""None of your business at all." "I like him much more than you, much, much more."" "He's been so strange to me the whole time." "Fränze had a pliant heart, although she was completely unaware of this until now." "Franz observed how she settled in." "He was familiar with the routine." "Initially, women were always busy with underwear and darning socks." "But Fränze polished his boots every morning too." "Thank you." "This is Franz, my best friend, the guy I told you so much about." "Aha, window-shopping again?" "Not today, really." "We're just taking a stroll with no real purpose." "Cilly, go look at the display." "There's modern furniture." "You're interested in that." "I don't feel like looking at furniture today, Reinhold." "Cilly, please!" "Why should I, if I don't feel like looking at furniture?" "Cilly, please go look at the window display." "Women!" "They just won't do what you tell them." "Usually, she loves the displays." "She gets on my nerves, always wanting to look at the displays." "She looks great, your new girlfriend, almost like a movie star." "Cilly's her name, huh?" "Yeah, Cilly, or so she says." "But who would be called Cilly?" "Who cares?" "I've been wanting to ask you something." "You've given Fränze the boot, haven't you?" "No." "Why should I?" "Fränze's a cute little thing." "She's a hot number in bed." "She can cook, and she does the laundry." "But you promised to get rid of her quickly." "It's too soon, Reinhold." "I didn't want a new woman until the spring." "When it comes to summer clothes," "I noticed Fränze doesn't have any." "And I can't buy her any either." "So in the summer she'll have to go." "Do you know what I say, Franz?" "Fränze looks pretty shabby as it is." "She doesn't wear real winter clothes either, more like things for between seasons." "All wrong for the temperatures we have now." "You can never predict the weather, Reinhold." "You never know how it will be." "I think there's going to be a severe frost, Franz." "That's what I think, a really severe frost." "And look," "Cilly's got a rabbit fur." "Just look!" "So that's what you're getting at." "I see." "But what should I do with a rabbit pulled out of a hat?" "I've already got one at home." "What should I do with two?" "Business isn't exactly booming." "How do I manage without stealing?" "Did I say anything about two?" "Would I expect a guy to take on two?" "You're not a Turk." "That's what I'm saying." "I agree." "When did I say you should have two?" "Why not make it three?" "Chuck her out!" "Or don't you have anyone for her?" "Don't you know some guy who'll take Fränze?" "Who then?" "Someone else can take" "Fränze off your hands." "My God." "You're really slick, my boy." "I have to hand it to you." "We could open a chain business." "Really inflationary." "Why not?" "There are too many broads around anyway." "Yeah." "Far too many." "You have some weird friends." "Really weird." "Wouldn't you like to have a woman again?" "What?" "You leave the merchandise unattended just to ask me if I'd like a woman?" "I don't know, Franz." "Lotte's been dead," "let me see..." "One..." "It was si- years ago." "Lotte's been dead for si- years." "And for six years I've been living alone." "And how is it?" "How is it?" "How is it?" "I take care of myself." "I clean the apartment and try to get by." "Okay, so you try to get by." "And I ask you:" "what does your apartment look like?" "I can't always keep things tiptop, and I don't always feel like it." "As far as cooking goes," "I'd rather eat out than cook for myself." "But that's much more expensive." "Sure it's more expensive, but that's life." "No." "It doesn't have to be." "If you had a woman, she'd keep things neat and tidy for you." "She'd do the laundry." "She'd cook for you." "Sure, there are things to be said for it." "But when it comes to fights and trouble, you ask yourself whether you're really better off." "Who says there has to be trouble and strife?" "Who says so?" "It could just be that a woman looks after everything that needs looking after, cooks and cleans what has to be cooked and cleaned, doesn't quarrel, and brings a little life into the home." "Couldn't that be?" "Can't you imagine that?" "A Bundschuh." "Well, can't you imagine it?" "Well, if you look at it like that, and if there were a guarantee that there'd be no quarreling and fighting..." "I've had all that, you know." "I've really had my share of it." "Why are you asking me all this?" "Because I've got one for you." "What does that mean?" "It means I've got one for you." "Thank you." "You're welcome, miss." "Hello, gentlemen." "Thanks." "There." "Did you make this coffee?" "Yes, of course I made the coffee." "This isn't coffee, Fränze." "It's dishwater." "Pardon me?" "I said this isn't coffee." "It's dishwater!" "No, no." "It isn't dishwater." "It's coffee!" "When I say it's dishwater, Fränze, then it's dishwater, and not coffee." "Do you understand?" "And I say it's coffee, not dishwater!" "The one time we have a guest, Fränze, you put dishwater on the table!" "Like I said, Franz, it's not dishwater." "It's especially good coffee, especially strong." "Franz, really." "I don't think it's dishwater." "On the contrary, it's very good coffee." "Really, Franz." "There!" "You heard it yourself:" "it is coffee, very good coffee." "In fact, not dishwater." "Okay, okay." "Have it your way." "If he thinks your coffee is coffee, and not what it really is, namely dishwater, then make coffee for him!" "If he thinks your dishwater is coffee, make it for him!" "Come on!" "How can anyone get so upset about coffee, whether it's...?" "It's not a matter of whether it's coffee or not." "The thing is we never have guests, and today, when we do have a guest for once, she puts that on the table!" "She dares to serve something like that!" "Oh, come on, Franz." "The coffee tastes good to me." "Really Franz." "Okay." "Go ahead!" "Take her with you!" "I really don't have to put up with this!" "Then beat it if you don't want to put up with it!" "Pack your stuff and get out of here." "Very well, Mr. Biberkopf." "I don't need to be told twice." "Do you understand?" "You'll only say a thing like that once to me." "I hope so." "I hope I have to say it only once." "Pack your junk and beat it!" "Come on!" "Pack it up and beat it!" "With Eddie for all I care." "Make him coffee, or do whatever you like with him!" "I'll be glad when I don't have to eat any more of your stuff." "No, Franz, really..." "Kiss my ass!" "Miss, be reasonable yourself, at least." "How can anyone fight over coffee?" "You heard what he said." "He told me to beat it." "That's what he said." "Okay, if that's how you want it;" "with pleasure!" "He's a bastard anyway, a dirty, stinking bastard." "Hey!" "Those are my cups." "They're my cups you're smashing." "You know I don't have many cups." "I'll buy you a cup, Franz, and have it sent round." "Please do." "Buy me one and have it sent round." "Miss, why are you doing this?" "I can't stand it anymore." "I can't stand being treated like this." "You're quite right, Miss Fränze." "You're quite right." "But a person can lose his nerves." "Things can go too far, though, and this time it's gone too far." "Here!" "This is yours, too, isn't it?" "Thank you." "This picture belongs to you." "This trashy book too." "Go on, pack up your junk!" "It gets on my nerves, you and your garbage." "Franz!" "Really, I don't understand you." "I don't give a shit if you understand me or not." "Wait, Miss Fränze." "I'll take your suitcase." "Thanks." "You're a pig, a filthy, disgusting..." "A disgusting..." "Learn how to talk properly before you mess with me." "Learn how to talk first, you stupid bitch!" "That's enough!" "We're going." "You filthy pig!" "You can come in, Mrs. Bast." "Mr. Biberkopf!" "What have you done now?" "Such a nice girl, Fränze was, so hard-working." "She darned socks, sewed buttons, mended your underpants." "She went to a lot of trouble for you." "You're quite right, Mrs. Bast." "Fränze's a good girl, really a good girl." "I liked her a lot." "I really liked her a lot." "Take a seat, Mrs. Bast." "Drink a cup of coffee with me." "I'd love to." "Thank you." "The coffee tastes good." "Of course the coffee tastes good." "I made it myself." "Do you think I couldn't taste that?" "I know your coffee, Mrs. Bast." "I don't understand a thing." "The whole quarrel was about the coffee." "I was thinking out there:" ""What does he want?" "The coffee's the same as I've been making for years." "Something must have happened."" "Yes, that's the way I see it too." "Something must have happened." "And she was so nice, a really nice girl, and really hard-working." "I think..." "I think the doorbell rang." "Oh, that'll be Fränze." "She's come to her senses and wants to straighten things out." "Maybe, but maybe not." "You beast!" "There's a lady at the door with something to deliver." "So she says." "A lady?" "With something to deliver?" "Yes, a lady with something to deliver." "Well, let her in, then!" "As you wish, Mr. Biberkopf." "Come in, miss." "Hello, Mr. Biberkopf." "Reinhold sent me." "And you've brought something from Reinhold?" "How nice." "Leave us alone for a moment." "Just for a moment." "Of course, Mr. Biberkopf." "Of course I'll leave you alone." "Well, then..." "What's the matter, my dear?" "Something hurting you?" "Is anything wrong?" "No, it's really nothing, Mr. Biberkopf." "I'm supposed to give you his fur collar." "Here." "Pretty classy." "Where does the guy find all these fine things?" "Last time it was just a pair of boots." "Boots last time, and this time, a fur collar." "I guess Reinhold's a real buddy of yours?" "My God!" "Now and then he sends me food, and clothes that he doesn't need anymore." "Like I said, last time he sent me a pair of boots." "Wait a minute, you must take a look at them." "Here, look, Miss Cilly." "These are what he sent me." "What do you say to them?" "Real galoshes?" "You could get three guys in them." "Three guys, I tell you." "Come here a moment." "Come here." "Stick your foot in it." "There, you see, Miss Cilly." "It's simple." "You just stick your feet in boots like these..." "Off you go!" "No, stay like that." "It looks so nice." "Don't turn around!" "Like a slippery washhouse floor." "Glide around, Cilly." "I think I'll join you in them." "I said there was room for three in them." "Yes." "You..." "Reinhold's waiting for me, but..." "Don't tell him anything." "Please!" "Please!" "How could I, baby?" "I wouldn't do a thing like that." "You wouldn't do it." "You wouldn't do it." "There is a Grim Reaper whose name is Death, with the power of our Lord." "Hello?" "Who's there?" "He whets his knife today, sharp for the foray." "Soon he will shear a path." "And we must bear his wrath." "Good evening, Reinhold." "I didn't expect to see you today." "How are things?" "How should things be?" "Any plans for tonight?" "Oh, oh!" "It's less than a month." "Time for a change?" "No, no." "Nothing like that." "Well, actually Cilly's waiting for me at home," "but she's used to my being late." "Good, then come with me." "Where are you going?" "Binging at Walter's?" "I'm not binging." "What?" "Not going on a binge?" "Let it be a surprise." "No one would deny that milk is a valuable nutrient for children, especially for infants and babies." "It's also recommended for fortifying the sick, especially in combination with other nutrients." "Another form of nourishment, unfortunately not much appreciated, is mutton." "So there's nothing against milk, but the propaganda shouldn't be crude and misleading." "I'll stick to beer." "There's nothing you can say against a well-matured beer." "Do you want to know where we're going?" "Not necessarily, but if you want to tell me..." "To the Salvation Army." "What?" "That's right, to the Salvation Army on Dresdner Strasse." "Lord, we thank Thee that we may gather here in Thy name..." "On Landsbergerstrasse, in Friedrich Hahn, the former department store, they held a clearance sale." "It's gone the way of all flesh." "The streetcar and the 19 bus stop there:" "Turmstrasse." "The building that housed Jürgens' stationery store was demolished and a construction fence erected." "There, an old man sits with a doctor's scale." "Check your weight for 5 pfennigs." "Brothers and sisters, swarming across the Alex, treat yourselves to a glimpse of this dump through the opening, where Jürgens once flourished, and the Hahn store still stands, empty, cleared out, gutted, with only red shreds sticking to the windows." "Before us lies a garbage heap." "For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." "We have built a splendid house, but no one goes in or out here anymore." "Rome, Babylon, Niniveh, Hannibal, Caesar:" "all have fallen." "Think on this." "What are they doing now?" "They've been called to the sinners' bench." "To the sinners' bench, do you understand?" "First of all, I may observe, these cities are being excavated again." "Secondly, the cities have fulfilled their purpose, and one can build new cities." "You don't lose any tears over old pants when they're worn out." "You buy new ones." "That's what makes the world go round." "Reinhold!" "Reinhold!" "My God!" "What's up?" "Why did you run out like that?" "You have to be careful with those guys." "They keep working on you until they wear down your resistance and you'll say yes to everything." "Hold on a minute." "Not with me." "They'd have to get up earlier to fool me." "I want to give up the broads, Franz." "I've had enough." "What a pity!" "I was looking forward to the next one." "Do you think I like having to come to you to ask you to take this blond, Trude, off my hands?" "No, that way..." "It's no big deal for me, Reinhold." "Why should it be?" "You can rely on me." "You can send 10 more broads, for all I care." "We'll find a place for all of them, Reinhold." "Leave me in peace with the broads, Franz." "I want nothing to do with them." "Then it's quite simple:" "just keep away from them." "We'll take care of them." "I'll take the current one." "But then steer clear of them." "Two times two is four, if you know your arithmetic." "Do you get it?" "There's nothing to gape about." "Boy, you sure can gawk!" "If you like, you can keep the last one." "Well, what do you say?" "I've been here twice to the Salvation Army." "I even spoke to one of them, give my pledge, stick to my bargain." "Then I go back on it." "What about it?" "You know how quickly I get sick of the broads." "You see for yourself." "After four weeks, it's all over." "I don't like them anymore." "But at first, I'm crazy for one." "You should see me." "Completely crazy." "You could lock me in a padded cell." "Then afterwards:" "Nothing!" "Out she goes." "I can't stand her." "I'd throw money after her just not to have to see her." "My God!" "Maybe you really are crazy." "So, I went to the Salvation Army, and talked to a guy." "I told them all about it, and then I prayed with one of them." "What?" "You prayed?" "When you feel like that and don't know what to do..." "And it helped." "For si- weeks, eight maybe." "You think about other things and pull yourself together." "It helps." "It helps." "Reinhold, maybe..." "Maybe you should go to the hospital." "Or maybe you shouldn't have bolted out of the hall just now." "You could have sat on the bench up front." "Don't feel ashamed because of me." "I've had enough of it." "It's no use." "It's a load of nonsense." "How will it help me, crawling up there and praying?" "I don't believe in it." "I can understand that." "If you don't believe, it won't help." "I don't know how I can help you either, Reinhold." "I'll have to think it over." "Maybe you need something that'll turn you off women for good." "Something like that." "God, I could puke at the thought of that blond, Trude." "But tomorrow or the day after, you should see me, when Guste, or" "Nelly, or whatever her name is..." "When she gets going!" "Then you should see old Reinhold with his red ears." "When he's got to have her." "Even if it means spending all your money on her, you've got to have her." "There is a Grim Reaper whose name is Death, with powers from Almighty God." "Soon he will begin to reap." "Guess who I ran into?" "It doesn't interest me." "I ran into Reinhold." "Aha, Reinhold." "What did he have to say?" "Lots of things, lots, lots." "You let them tell you anything and believe it all, do you?" "Don't be like that, Cilly!" "Then I'm leaving, right away." "First I wait three full hours for you, then you come with your bullshit." "My God!" "I just want you to tell me something." "What's the matter?" "I don't understand a thing." "It's all very simple." "Just tell me something about Reinhold." "All right, if that's what you want," "I'll tell you about him." "That guy Reinhold is neither a lover nor a pimp." "He's not a man at all." "He's just a bum." "Out on the street, he's like a sparrow, pecking around and picking up the girls." "There are dozens who could tell you a tale or two about him." "Don't think I was his first one, nor his eighth for that matter." "Maybe the hundredth." "He doesn't know himself how many he's had." "And how he's had them!" "You wouldn't know it from looking at him, when he sits there brooding," "not touching a drop of alcohol." "Then suddenly he snaps you." "Yeah, he told me all that." "At first you wonder what the guy wants." "Then suddenly he starts to talk and he talks and talks." "And he can dance!" "What?" "He can dance?" "Why not?" "Where do you think I met him?" "On the dance floor on Chausseestrasse." "Well, I'd never have thought he could dance, that Reinhold can dance." "He gets you, Franz, no matter where you are." "Even if a girl's married, he doesn't give up." "He gets her." "Swear me no loyalty No oath to be true" "We all wish for novelty, To find something new" "For hearts ablaze will find no rest," "Seek stimulation:" "There lies the quest." "Don't swear fidelity Nor to be true." "For I want distraction Just like you" "You laugh about it." "Then you're just the same." "No, Cilly, no, no." "You know, it's just that he's so funny, and then he yammers to me that he can't give up the women." "Now he's got a blond called Trude." "Maybe..." "What do you think?" "Should I take her off his hands?" "Quiet!" "What are you screaming for?" "They must have dipped you in chocolate!" "What's all this about Trude?" "Say that again about Trude!" "I told you before not to scream like that." "I haven't even bitten you." "No, Franz, you haven't bitten me, but how naive can you get?" "Damn naive!" "Okay, so I'm naive." "But if Reinhold's my friend, and he's in a fix, and even runs to the Salvation Army on Dresdner Strasse to pray," "I have to stand by him as a friend, don't X?" "You think I shouldn't take Trude off his hands?" "And what about me?" "With you With you" "With you I'd like to go fishing" "With you, with you, with you I'd like to go fishing" "My God, Cilly, then we'll have to talk about it." "We could have a drink and figure out how to go about it." "Leave me in peace." "Just look at the boots, like galoshes." "They were from him too." "You know, you brought me the fur collar." "Remember?" "Well, the one before you brought me the galoshes." "That's how it is." "That's how he is." "But he's my friend, and I wanted to help him." "I don't want to fool you." "What a low-down bastard." "What a miserable bastard you are." "If Reinhold's scum, you're even worse." "You're worse than the worst pimp." "No, Cilly." "No, I'm not." "If I were a man..." "Well, it's a good thing you're not." "Don't get upset about nothing, Cilly." "I've told you everything there is to know." "And when I look at you..." "In the meantime," "I've thought everything over." "I won't take Trude off his hands, and you..." "You're staying here." "I'm not putting up with it anymore." "He destroys people." "I just won't go along with it anymore." "Something's got to happen." "You know what?" "Tomorrow morning, after Reinhold's left home, we'll go to Trude and talk with her." "We'll talk with her, and I'll stand by her." "She can count on me." "End of part five, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "It's true, Franz." "I can't stand Trude." "I just can't stand her." "Do you understand?" "She nauseates me." "She makes me sick." "When she eats" "I hear it like explosions." "Or when she swallows." "Or gawks at me" "I could..." "I don't know." "I could wring her neck." "I'm absolutely sick of her, I tell you." "I have to get rid of her." "I just have to." "And I have to get rid of her today." "Today." "Then you have another one already, Reinhold?" "Yes." "Yes." "I've got another one." "Her name's Nelly." "She works in the market hall." "What a woman." "What a woman." "You wouldn't believe it." "She's a woman like..." "Like..." "I got the idea, Reinhold." "I know exactly what you mean." "But I'm not kicking Cilly out." "She's really settled in with me, and she's a decent little woman." "I tell you Reinhold just put the brakes on things, like any decent guy should." "It can't go on like this, Reinhold." "Hold on, Franz." "Wait a minute." "I don't understand you." "I don't understand what you mean." "Is it because of the fur collar?" "When Trude comes by she'll bring you..." "What do I know?" "A watch, a silver pocket watch." "Or a fur cap with earflaps." "You could use one, couldn't you?" "No, Reinhold." "No way." "There's got to be an end to all this nonsense." "And I'll buy all that stuff myself, if I need it." "I've been thinking things over, Reinhold, giving the matter some close thought yesterday and today." "The best thing is for you to keep her to keep Trude, come what may." "Man, you have to get used to it." "You can do it." "They're all human beings, even broads." "Otherwise you can get a whore for 3 marks who'll be happy to move on afterwards." "But beguiling a woman with love and emotion and then dropping her, and one after another..." "No, Reinhold." "Hey, what's up now?" "It's all right, Franz." "If you can't take Trude off my hands, then you can't." "I got by without you before." "Feeling better now, darling?" "That's my business." "I want you to feel good, Reinhold." "I love you so much." "No!" "What's the matter, Franz?" "Don't you feel well?" "It's nothing, Cilly." "It's nothing." "It was just a dream." "You've broken out in a cold sweat." "Have I?" "What were you dreaming about?" "First, I was a horse." "An ordinary horse pulling a vegetable cart to the market hall." "But I don't want to be a horse." "I don't want to run around at night in the cold." "I'd rather be in the stable where it's warm." "Then suddenly I notice that my toes are frozen." "And I want to die." "Because I'm not allowed in the stable where it's warm and because my feet are frozen." "And just when I feel like dying, I really do die." "And when I'm dead," "I'm not just gone." "I'm a bird sitting in a tree." "And suddenly I see how a snake is slowly creeping up the tree towards me." "I want to fly away because I think:" ""You're a bird." "You can fly away."" "But I can't." "I may be a bird, but I can't fly away." "I can't move at all." "Part 6:" "Love Has It's Price" "And the snake comes nearer and nearer." "And I want..." "I want to escape." "I want to get farther and farther away." "I'm getting increasingly scared." "And the snake's coming toward me." "And then it's next to me and bites me." "And once it had bitten me" "I wasn't a bird anymore." "I was myself and the snake was Reinhold." "But I'd still been bitten." "And then I knew" "I really had to die." "Sorry, Cilly." "It was a stupid dream to wake you up for." "It's not a stupid dream." "It's not a stupid dream at all." "I can understand why you were so afraid." "In Berlin, in early April, when there was a breath of spring in the air a Russian student, Alex Fränkel, shot his fiancée, the 22-year-old artisan Vera Kaminskaya, in her rooming house." "The governness Tatyana Sanftleben, of the same age who had planned to take her life with them was seized with fear at the last moment and ran away while her friend Vera lay lifeless on the floor." "She ran into a police patrol, told them her frightful experiences of the past months and led them to the place where Vera and Alex lay mortally wounded." "Homicide was alerted and sent officers to the crime scene." "Alex and Vera had wanted to marry but economic conditions did not permit matrimony." "Well, how are things?" "How's business?" "Isn't there enough happening in the world?" "Can't complain." "Things could be worse." "I've got enough to live on." "What more does a guy need?" "I'm not one for luxury." "That's true." "You're not a guy for luxury." "On the other hand there's something to be said for being able to afford things and for the certainty of having something to eat in 10 days or three weeks." "It all depends." "It depends, how you look at things and how much you have to sell yourself to have that certainty." "Bruno, come over here a moment." "You too, Theo." "Let's talk the matter over in peace again." "It's great how the boys jump when he calls, huh?" "He's sure got a hold on them." "Well, they make a good living with him." "Pums needs more people." "What should I do with fruit?" "Fruit's not his only line." "He's a shrewd devil, Pums." "Pretty shrewd." "But they're just like his employees." "They're dependent on him like with any other boss." "Maxe." "Yes?" "Bring us two doubles." "Coming up." "You know, Meck..." "Do you know what I say?" "People are a really strange lot." "Have you just figured that out?" "No, I don't mean it like that." "I mean something quite specific." "Do you understand?" "If you mean something specific, then spit it out." "Well, the thing is..." "Here you go." "Thanks." "Cheers." "What I mean is..." "It's Reinhold I'm referring to." "I agreed to take over his broads, because he gets sick of them so quickly." "That's right!" "That's what I did, twice, first Fränze and then Cilly." "But the third time I said:" ""No, Reinhold, no." "Cilly's settled down so well with me." "She's staying." "I'm not kicking her out."" "So now he's stuck with his Trude." "Don't tell me you really made an agreement like that?" "Yeah, like I said." "That's the craziest thing I ever heard." "He must learn to stay with someone, even if it's boring for him sometimes." "Do you understand?" "There's something wrong with the guy." "But because he's my friend, and I kind of like him" "I thought I ought to help him out." "Cheers, Meck." "Cheers." "We'll sing a canon around our table, Mabel" "We'll sing a canon around our table, Mabel" "Three times three is nine We're boozing all like swine" "Three times three and one is ten Let's have a round of drinks again" "Two, three, four, seven" "At 8:23 and 17 seconds another person enters the bar." "Another One, two, three, four, five, six, seven" "Mother's cooking beets in heaven Who can it be?" "The king of England, you say?" "No, it's not the king of England riding with his retinue to the opening of parliament, a symbol of the English nation's sense of independence." "No, it's not him." "Who is it then?" "It's only..." "Who comes shuffling up, his socks falling down?" "Reinhold." "Sit down at the back there." "Bring Trude a beer, and a coffee for me." "Coming up." "Hi, Reinhold." "You're pretty late." "Sorry, boss." "All right." "It's hard not to burst out laughing, and die of laughter in the end." "It's no laughing matter, Meck." "It's not funny." "He's a subject of my education." "He's my pupil." "I've got him on a tight rein." "Wrigley P. R. chewing gum." "For healthy teeth, fresh breath, better digestion." "Take a seat, Reinhold." "How are things at home?" "Everything hunky-dory?" "You can see for yourself:" "Trude's still with me." "You get used to it." "See, Meck we're putting things straight in the world." "We're running the show." "Just let anyone say otherwise." "One penitent sinner is worth more than 999 just persons." "And what about you?" "Aren't you glad all that hassle with the broads is over?" "You'd like to play the physician, huh?" "Why not?" "I've got experience in these things." "I know how things are." "You want to cure me by turning me into a married cripple?" "Cheers!" "Long live the married cripple!" "Three times three is nine" "We're boozing all like swine" "Come on, Reinhold, sing along." "If you don't make a start, you'll never reach the end." "Cheers." "Just a minute." "What's up with them?" "Do you understand what they have to whisper about all day?" "Well, Biberkopf?" "Still as stubborn as ever?" "It's all quite simple." "You take over a vegetable truck." "Pums delivers the goods and the earnings are handsome." "And I told you I don't want to." "Think it over." "Just think it over." "You'll find me when you need me." "Come on, Meck." "Bye, everybody." " Bye." "I'm going too." "I have to." "All the best, boys." "What do you think, Reinhold?" "What do you think about this business with Pums?" "Well..." "I'm in on it too." "I don't know." "I'll think it over." "Cursed be the man, saith Jeremiah, that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord." "For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness." "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is." "For he shall be as a tree by the waters, that spreadeth her roots and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought neither shall cease from yielding fruit." "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:" "Who can know it?" "Franz you might at least have taken off your boots." "Don't make such a fuss, Cilly." "Boots on, boots off." "Boots on, boots off." "I can't keep taking my boots off." "Water in the thick black forest, terrible black water, you lie so silent." "So terribly quiet you lie  unmoving when the storm rages around the forest." "And the pines bend and the cobwebs are torn apart, and the splintering begins." "In the hollow you lie, black water." "The branches fall." "The wind tears at the forest, but does not reach you down there." "No dragons." "The time of the mammoth has passed." "There is nothing that could frighten one." "What's up now?" "Nothing at all, Cilly." "Sunday, April 8th, 1928" "Is today a holiday, Cilly?" "Yes, it's Sunday." "No, Cilly, a special holiday?" "The bells are ringing like crazy." "Where?" "Just now." "I didn't hear anything." "Did you hear something?" "They were really booming, Cilly, really making a racket." "You must have been dreaming." "No, Cilly" "I wasn't dreaming." "You don't dream things like that." "Not bells ringing." "I heard it." "Who knows what happened to somebody just now?" "You shouldn't talk like that, Franz." "You frighten me." "Really." "You frighten me." "It's all right, Cilly." "I'm going out to get a breath of fresh air." "To see whether anything's happened." "Terrible black water, you lie so silent, so terribly still." "Plants decay in you." "Fish, snails move." "Nothing else." "Yet, though you're only water, there's something uncanny about you, black water, terribly quiet water." "That's Bruno." "Of course it's Bruno." "What's going on here?" "Hold it!" "You're coming to the station." "Do you understand?" "Go to Pums." "Do me a favor." "Kölnerstrasse 17." "Go to Pums." "Tell him I can't come today." "Can I rely on you?" "Sure." "Good evening, Mr. Pums." "Good evening." "Mr. Biberkopf." "Very pleased to see you." "Come in." "It's all right, Clara." "Come over here." "You're amazed I came to see you, aren't you?" "Well, what should I say?" "I'm walking across the Alex, and in Landsbergerstrasse there's a scrap going on." "So I go over to see what's happening." "Well..." "There's Bruno slugging it out with some little guy." "Then the cops come along and cart him off." "So I'm supposed to tell you he can't come tonight." "And that's it." "Strange." "I was thinking of you anyway, Biberkopf." "Very strange." "Yeah, it is strange." "So Bruno's not coming this evening?" "In that case you'll take his place, Biberkopf." "What do I do?" "Take a seat first." "It's all very simple, Biberkopf." "It's nearly 6 now." "At 9, we have to pick up the goods." "Today's Sunday." "You don't have anything to do anyway." "I'll pay your expenses and on top of that, I'll pay you." "Let's say, 5 marks an hour." "Five marks?" "Yes, 5 marks." "Plus expenses." "Okay, then, 5.50." "What do I care?" "Would you like a coffee or a small schnapps?" "No thanks." "It's just that" "I should really get home." "My girl's there." "Cilly." "I can't leave her home alone all day Sunday." "No, Biberkopf." "I can't let you go now." "Everything will fall through and I'll be left holding the baby." "No, not for some woman." "That won't do at all, Biberkopf." "You're not ruining everything for us because of that." "She won't run away from you." "I know that." "That's the truth." "I can count on her." "And that's why I can't leave her sitting alone." "She doesn't see or hear anything from me, doesn't even know where I am." "Yes, Mr. Biberkopf, that'll sort itself out." "By the way, this is my wife, and this is Mr. Franz Biberkopf." "He'll be joining us tonight." "Don't forget to take your pills." "No, I won't forget this time." ""No more child marriages in India." "A cemetery for prize winning livestock."" ""Bruno Walter conducts his last concert this season on Sunday, April 15, at the Civic Opera House." "The program will include Mozart's 'Symphony in E-flat major.'" "The net proceeds will go toward the Gustav Mahler monument in Vienna." "Driver, married, 32, with 2A and 3B driver's licenses seeks employment in private business or trucks,"" "Hello, Reinhold." "Hello, Franz." "Reinhold, I feel really at home here now." "It's great that you'll be with us." "Now I don't mind coming along." "Come what may." "I see." "You're coming along, too?" "That's what I just said." "That's right." "At least you've made a decision for once." "This is the place." "You can throw the cigar away now." "Why?" "Because I said so." "Understand?" "Hey." "What are you doing here, Biberkopf?" "You have no business here." "Stay down there and keep a lookout." "Go down there." "Why?" "Don't I have to pick something up here?" "Nonsense." "Get down there, and fast." "Didn't anyone tell you?" "No one told me anything." "Just get down there and keep a lookout." "What's going on here?" "Where are we?" "Robbery and murder." "They're stealing, breaking in." "I must get out of here." "I must get out of here." "An ice rink, a slide." "Quick getaway." "On the water, all the way to Alexanderplatz." "Must get out of here." "Run after that idiot." "Hey, why are you running away?" "Didn't anyone tell you?" "Well, it doesn't matter now." "Come with me." "No need to pull me." "I'm coming." "For God's sake, faster." "Okay." "Stand here and keep a lookout." "Who gives the orders here?" "Cut the crap." "There's no time for that." "Don't you have any brains?" "Don't act so dumb." "Just stay here and whistle if anything happens." "Okay?" "Yes, but Reinhold, I..." "Shut up!" "So that's how it is." "Now I'm standing here." "They pulled a fast one on me." "They really hoodwinked me." "And that bastard hit me." "Reinhold hit me." "There's a robbery going on in there." "Who knows what they're stealing?" "My God, what a fool I am." "I thought they were dealing in fruit." "But they're just burglars." "My God, I'm keeping a lookout." "Do you hear, Franz?" "You're keeping a lookout." "After being locked in their cells, all prisoners must go to bed." "In summer, they may stay up until nightfall." "This here is a gang, and Pums is the leader." "Klöckner, Humboldt, Deutz, Krupp Steel, Mercedes, and they lured me here." "Come on, Franz." "We're finished." "Let's go." "Everything's okay." "What?" "You're in on this, too, Meck?" "Sure, Franz." "Didn't you know?" "I'm driving the other car." "Come on." "My God, Reinhold." "I'd never have thought you were so strong." "That sure hurt when you hit my arm back there." "Shut up, man." "Shut your face." "Be quiet now." "If anyone follows, give a signal up ahead." "Do you hear?" "If anyone follows..." "Come on." "Let's follow them." "Why, baby?" "Let's see whether you're faster." "You don't have to tell me twice." "They're following us." "My God, drive faster." "They're coming closer." "What are you laughing at, you idiot?" "Are you out of your mind?" "Why shouldn't I laugh?" "It's nobody's business if I laugh, is it?" "So it's none of my business if you laugh?" "You no-good, two-bit jerk." "To me, you're nothing but a snake in the grass anyway." "A stool pigeon, that's what you are." "No, Reinhold." "One thing you can believe about me:" "I'd never rat on you." "I'd never rat on you." "Water in the black forest, lying so silent." "So terribly quiet you lie there, unmoving when a storm rages in the forest and the pines bend, and the cobwebs tear, and the splintering begins." "The storm does not reach you down there." "Cursed be the man, saith Jeremiah, that trusteth in man." "For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall inhabit the parched, uninhabited places." "The heart is deceitful and wicked." "Who can know it?" "Love Has Its Price" "Cilly was looking for him all afternoon." "Franz didn't come home." "Got to piss." "Franz is dead." "What did you say?" "That Franz is dead." "It was an accident." "My God." "Franz is dead?" "Yeah, you heard right." "He's dead." "Understand?" "Dead." "It was an accident." "Hello, Meck." "He's dead." "Heard anything from my Franz?" "The guy just won't come home." "I'm waiting, and he lets me sit there." "You're his friend." "You must know where he is." "He's dead." "Your jokes are so bad that they're laughable." "It's no joke, Cilly." "Franz is dead." "It was an accident." "Dead?" "Say that again." "You filthy swine." "Say that again." "Say that again, you dirty, filthy swine." "Say that again, that my Franz is dead." "Say it again." "Cilly" "Franz is dead." "Dead?" "Don't do that again, Cilly." "I won't take that a second time." "Do you understand?" "I'm sorry." "I'm sorry." "I couldn't" "I'm sorry, Meck." "I couldn't control myself." "It just came over me." "It's all right, Cilly." "It's okay." "Where's Reinhold?" "Reinhold?" "Why him?" "Why?" "Yes, why?" "Reinhold's his friend." "He always said he was his friend." "He's in the john." "In the john." "Reinhold, did you hear?" "Franz is dead." "He had an accident." "Did you hear?" "This is the men's room," "Cilly." "Do you understand?" "The men's room." "Say something, Reinhold, please." "Anything." "Surely you can say something." "What do you want to hear?" "Well, if you really want to know it's true." "He's dead..." "Franz." "It was an accident." "He fell in front of a car." "Reinhold don't you love me anymore?" "Not even a little bit?" "Sure." "Cilly." "Sure I do." "It's long enough ago now." "Is he dead?" "I'm not sure." "There's blood here too." "I think we have to call the police." "Why call the police?" "No one can see us here." "No one saw us." "And it's his own fault." "He fell out of the car." "We couldn't help it." "But we can't leave him lying here." "He might kick the bucket." "Like I said, it's his own fault." "He fell out." "We're not to blame." "My God, Marianne, if this man dies, and we could have helped him, could you ever forget it?" "I could never forget it." "And what do you think will happen if we call the police?" "What do you think'll happen?" "What an uproar there'll be." "Yes, you're right, Marianne." "It's sure to be unpleasant." "As you said, he fell out of the car." "We didn't have a chance." "But we have to call the police." "I think he's trying to say something." "Then he's still alive." "No police." "Please, no police." "Drive me back to Berlin, will you?" "No police." "Don't call the police." "Drive me back to Berlin." "Elsässerstrasse." "Do you understand?" "Elsässerstrasse 26." "Please." "He doesn't want the police." "He wants to go to Elsässerstrasse 26." "We should take him there." "What do you say?" "You must decide that, Oskar." "You're the man." "You must decide." "Yes, that's the best thing." "It's best if we do that." "Come on." "Give me a hand." "Hell and its Children" "Shut up." "I know that, yeah." "Reinhold." "Who is this?" "Can you tell me who this person is?" "No." "Cilly, what are you doing here?" "This is my girlfriend, Cilly." "And who are you, Madam?" "I asked you who you are and what you want." "This is my apartment." "What do you want here?" "I love you." "Well, that beats everything." "How can a person use words like that?" "Do you know what I say to you, Madam?" "You're an old sow." "Why did you do that?" "What have I done?" "I come home to my apartment and find a strange woman." "And then she says she loves me." "For three days, I feared something had happened to you." "No one need fear for me." "No one need worry about me." "Understand?" "Is that clear?" "I asked." "Don't hurt me, Reinhold." "Please, don't hurt me." "Don't hurt me." "Please, don't hurt me." "I've had enough of you." "I'm sick of you." "Do you hear me?" "I'm sick of you." "You're repulsive." "You nauseate me." "I never want to see you again." "Beat it!" "Do you hear me?" "Beat it!" "I don't understand, Reinhold." "What's the matter?" "Did you hear that?" "She doesn't understand what's up." "She didn't get it, the stupid bitch." "I have to go to the john." "I told you you make me sick." "You're repulsive." "And if you don't get out of here right away," "I'll do you in." "I'll do you in." "Do you hear me?" "Please don't hurt me, Reinhold." "Get out of here." "I'll kill you." "I'll kill you." "I'll kill you." "No!" "No!" "No." "I've done it." "I managed to throw her out." "I just kicked her out." "Cilly I've managed to throw someone out." "I've managed to throw someone out." "Who'd have thought it?" "Not even Franz would have thought I could do it." "And it's important that we're happy when the sun rises, and the lovely light comes." "The gas lamps have to go out, the electric lights have to go out." "People have to get up when the alarm clock rings." "For a new day has begun." "The world has gone on turning." "The sun has risen." "You can't be sure what's up with this sun." "People are very concerned with this sun." "It's supposed to be the central body of our planetary system." "For our Earth is only a small planet." "But what are we, then?" "When the sun rises and we are happy one should actually be sad for what are we really?" "The sun is 300,000 times bigger than the Earth and there is no end of other numbers and zeroes which simply goes to show that we are a zero ourselves, absolutely nothing." "It's ridiculous really, yet one's happy nevertheless." "You come out onto the street and feel strong." "Colors emerge, people's faces come to life, and there are forms that you can grasp with your hands." "What a good thing it is that we can see." "That we can see these colors and the lines." "And people always take pleasure, when they can show what they are that they're doing something experiencing something." "We take pleasure in a little warmth." "We're happy that the flowers can grow." "But that other matter, that must be a mistake." "There must be an error in those terrible numbers with all the zeroes." "There is no cause for despair." "When I continue with this tale, telling it to its bitter, frightful end I shall often use these words:" ""No cause for despair."" "End of part six, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "Ladies and gentlemen once again the hour draws near when we shall be called upon to decide..." "Our friend Franz Biberkopf isn't dead." "In all that mess, he only lost an arm." "My God, was he lucky." "Just an arm, that's all." "In other words, he's still on his feet." "Who knows if he won't blow the whistle on us?" "He's not the kind of guy to blow the whistle on you." "Oh, no?" "Are you sure about that?" "Yes." "I'm absolutely sure." "Shit!" "How can you do a thing like that?" "It's all your fault." "Do you hear me?" "I said all along: if he's not dead, it's dangerous for us." "You're worrying unnecessarily." "You can rely on me." "He won't give us any trouble." "Take my word for it." "Well, if you're so sure..." "I'm really sure, Pums, as sure as I'm sitting here." "As sure as death." "How come you're so sure?" "How come?" "Tell him he must leave that to me, Pums!" "Tell him." "Reinhold may be right." "Biberkopf's not the kind of guy who rats on people." "I'm pretty sure Reinhold's right." "I am right." "He'll be damned careful not to rat on us, this Franz Biberkopf." "He'll be damned careful." "And if one arm isn't enough for him, he only has to let us know." "If that's what he wants..." "Maybe he's got a head to lose, too." "Or am I mistaken, Meck?" "You know him best." "There you are, then!" "You don't have to worry about him." "Not him." "You know, Herbert, all things considered, you don't have to be afraid of prison." "When I think of Tegel..." "I had plenty of time to experience it all and to observe it and take it all in." "All things considered, it's no different from outside." "Ah, come on!" "Sure there are differences." "Just think about the broads." "Yeah, all right, the broads." "That's true." "But that may be the only thing that's different." "But the fact that people are all different, that there are all sorts:" "great and small." "And then all the rules and laws, which some obey and others don't." "That sometimes you're afraid and sometimes you're happy," "or that you get punished..." "But as far as broads are concerned:" "it depends how you look at it." "For my part, somehow, I..." "Somehow I didn't miss it." "Come on!" "What are you saying, Franz?" "No, really, Eva." "I always had a soft spot for the broads." "You know that." "Always." "But the four years I was in there..." "No, I just didn't miss them." "You were probably a special case because of Ida." "You think it's because of Ida?" "No, Herbert," "I don't think so." "Because basically," "Ida was a decent girl." "And when you think about it," "I should have longed for her, shouldn't I?" "But there was nothing." "Four years without a woman." "Not even thinking about it." "There must be something special about you." "That may be." "But for the guys I talked to out there in Tegel, it wasn't much different." "I don't think there's anything special about me." "I think it's something more general." "Even so, it's a shame about lda." "She was a great girl, don't you think?" "Sure I think so, Herbert." "That's why I was with her:" "because she was a great girl, my lda." "It's sad what happened to her." "Yeah, it's sad." "Sure it's sad." "She was too young to die." "Everyone's too young when it comes to dying." "But it happened." "But I know very well, and you know it, too." "I didn't mean to..." " I really didn't mean to." " We all know that, Franz." "We all know that." "Still, it's a pity about lda." "She was a great girl." "But when you think about it, there was something base about her." " What?" " Bullshit!" "Something base about her!" " You're jealous, that's all." " Well..." "You were jealous." "You wanted Franz for yourself, and Ida snatched him away from you." "Baloney." "Saying she was base!" "That's a lie, a dirty lie." "I said it because it's true." "I'm not jealous in the least." "Why should I be jealous?" "When I came out of Tegel, the houses seemed to sway, and the roofs came sliding down." "I sang in a courtyard, and I swore to myself, as sure as my name's Franz Biberkopf, that I'd stay straight." "And all that stuff from the past was over and done with." "Franz?" "Yes?" "Who threw you out of the car, Franz?" "Look, Franz, maybe you can't fight against them on your own, but there are enough people in Berlin who'll stand by you." "No." "Just forget it, Eva." "There's no point in talking about it." "Forget it!" "It won't make my arm grow back." "I'd really like to get out of Berlin." "But what can I do as a cripple?" "You're not a cripple, Franz." "But we can't let them get away with what they did to you, throwing you out of the car and everything." "That won't make my arm grow back." "They should pay for it, though." "What do you say?" "It's a syndicate." "If you belong to it, they should pay you." "They've got to pay for the arm, Franz." "It's the right one." "They must pay you a pension." "Don't shake your head!" "We'll bash the guy's skull in whoever did that." "It's an outrage." "We can't go to court." "We must do it our own way." "Franz wasn't in any syndicate." "You heard." "He didn't even want to go along." "And he had every right not to." "Since when can you force a guy?" "We're not barbarians." "Let them go to the savages!" "No, they're not getting away with that." "They ruined your nerves." "That's why you won't agree to it." "But you can count on us." "Pums hasn't ruined our nerves." "Do you know what Herbert always says?" "There'll be a bloodbath in Berlin, he says, that'll really open people's eyes." "I guarantee it." "But that won't give me back my arm." "And it's okay that the arm's gone." "PART 7:" "Remember--An Oath Can Be Amputated" "The arm had to go." "There's been a lot of talk about Biberkopf in the syndicate." "Some guy called Herbert Wischow is agitating against us, saying we're a bunch of pigs, that Biberkopf didn't want to go along with us, that we forced him to, and that afterwards, we threw him out of the car." "That's not true." "No one threw him out of the car." "It was an accident." "That's what I told them:" "it was an accident, that Biberkopf wanted to blow the whistle on us, and that there was no question of violence." "Nobody laid a finger on him." "But you know yourselves, once a rumor starts..." "We daren't let that happen, whatever anyone says." "We can't afford a row in the syndicate." "That must be clear." "If there's a conflict, our hands are tied." "We'll be all washed up." " We can't let that happen." " Right." "We'll have to show our goodwill." "We must take care of his recuperation and the physician's costs." "We'll take up a collection for him." "We should do him in!" "Maybe." "But you won't find anyone to do it in a hurry." "He's been punished enough, running around with one arm." "Gentlemen, there's no way around it." "Let's take up a collection." "If everyone contributes..." "Well..." "You're not getting a penny out of me for this idiocy." "Good day, gentlemen." "The new brother-in-law of the ex-Kaiser has married." "The princess is 61, and the boy's 27!" "That must have cost a fortune, and he'll never be a prince anyway." "How can you read newspapers like that?" "Why not?" "They're the best ones." "There's nothing about politics in them." "Did I tell you I'm going to Zoppot with Herbert?" "No." "You two are going to Zoppot?" "To Zoppot." "My john, the guy I have the apartment with, wants to go to Zoppot, and Herbert's coming along incognito." "So I'll see him every day." "Together we march, apart we sleep!" "What do you say to that?" "It must be really nice in Zoppot." "I've never been there, but I've heard about it." ""Police officers to get bulletproof vests,"" "My God, who believes in them anymore?" "Don't worry." "I'll get it." " Bruno." "What are you doing here?" " Let me in first." "All right." "Come on in then." "This is Eva," " and this here is Bruno from Pums's outfit." " What?" " From Pums's outfit?" " Hello." "Franz, can't you see?" "He came up only because he knows Herbert's not here." "Okay, Bruno, out with it." "What do you want with me?" "Throw him out." "Throw him out, Franz!" "He'll bring us bad luck." "He'll bring us bad luck." "Throw him out!" " Maybe you'd better listen to Eva." " Throw him out!" " Maybe it's better if you leave now." " Out!" "Out!" "Out!" "Get out!" "Are you a prisoner here?" "No, no." "I'm not a prisoner here." "You're afraid he'll blow the whistle on you." "That's what you're afraid of." "Okay, spit it out, Bruno." "Why did you come here?" "What do you want?" " Get out!" " Come on, Eva." "Leave him alone." "He doesn't mean any harm." "Okay, Bruno, don't keep me in suspense." " Spit it out!" " Well, it's nothing special, Franz." "We just thought..." "We sat down together and thought everything over, and everyone said something." "All plain and simple, and we said, we have to give Franz something." "We owe it to him." "Yeah, so we took up a collection, and that's what I wanted to bring you: what we collected." "You want to give me money?" "Why should you?" "I wasn't even in on it." "Come on, Franz." "You kept a lookout." "No, no, Bruno." "I didn't keep a lookout." "I didn't understand a thing." "I was put there without knowing what I was supposed to do," " or why I was there." " But..." "No buts, Bruno." "You can't possibly know." "You weren't there." "You were nabbed beforehand." "It was my bad luck that they arrested you and that you sent me to Pums." "But I didn't keep a lookout." "I didn't know what was going on." "But none of you need be afraid of me." "I never blew the whistle on anyone in my life." "Franz, look!" "He's going to shoot!" "My God, what am I going to do?" "Dead!" "Dead!" "All over!" "Finished!" "Murderer!" "I don't want to die." "Don't kill me!" "Don't kill me!" "Franz, quick!" "Get behind the cupboard." "Run!" "Quick!" "Quick!" "He wants to shoot me." "He really wants to shoot me, like when I kept a lookout." "Is that going to start all over again?" "I don't want to," "I tell you." "I don't want to." "I don't want to be thrown under a car again." "I must use a chair." "I must go after him with a chair." "Just keep going straight ahead." "We can save ourselves." "Keep going!" "We can..." "Livestock at the slaughterhouse:" "11,543 pigs, 2,016 head of cattle," "920 calves, 14,450 rams." "A blow." "There they lie." "The pigs, cattle, calves, being slaughtered." "It doesnt concern us." "And where do we stand?" "We?" "Sometimes fainting is nothing other than death in a living body." "I'm close to death." "I feel it." "About to kick the bucket." "If you dont do something now, Franz, something real, final, decisive..." "If you dont pick up a club, a saber, and strike with it, if you dont run away, Franz Biberkopf, old buddy, then youre finished, once and for all, and you can get yourself measured for a casket." "Darling!" "Just imagine, darling." "I've got a job!" "It all worked out." "I can perform." "I won't earn much, but at least it's a start again." "What's the matter?" "Aren't you glad?" "Sure." "Sure!" "And I was so happy!" "I thought I'd come home, tell you it had worked out, and you'd be glad." "I was much happier for your sake than for mine." "But you behave as if you couldn't care less." "Nonsense, Cilly." "Sure I'm glad." "It's just that maybe I'm glad in a different way from others." "People are glad in different ways, right?" "Always the same old bullshit!" "Don't start crying again," " please!" " But I'm not crying." "Of course you're crying." "You're always crying." "Either a guy behaves the way you imagine he should in your goddamned heads, or you cry and bawl and never leave a guy in peace." "But I do leave you in peace, really." "I do leave you in peace." "I'm sorry." "I..." "I just wanted to please you." "I am pleased, Cilly." "How many more times do I have to say it?" "I'm pleased!" "I'm pleased!" "I'm pleased!" "I'm pleased!" "All right?" "Okay, then." "And I don't want to." "And I don't want to." "And I won't kick the bucket." "Sheer anxiety drives him from his bed." "He cant just lie there." "Even if it means croaking in the street, he has to leave his bed." "He has to go out." "The cobra." "Look, it creeps, it shuffles." "It is injured." "Its still the same old cobra, even if there are black rings around its eyes." "Some things are clearer to the old boy now, who drags himself through the streets, so as not to kick the bucket in his lodgings." "Some things are clearer to him now, as he runs away from death." "Hes learned something from life after all." "Yes, my boy, you dont walk so sure-footed anymore." "Now you have to clutch something, hold on tight, with all the teeth and fingers youve got, hanging on for dear life, so as not to be thrown off." "No minors." "Not interested in something special?" "I haven't found anything special." "But we have something special to offer." "The choicest collection of broads in Berlin." "Oh yeah?" "Come with me." "I'd like to show you something." "Baloney!" "It's always the same thing." "Not this time." "Okay, then." "What's the greatest, the most exciting thing you've got to offer?" "Come this way." "The great whore, the whore of Babylon, who sits by the waters." "You see a woman sitting on a scarlet beast." "The woman is full of the names of blasphemy." "She has seven heads and ten horns." "She is clothed in purple and scarlet, bejeweled with gold and precious stones and pearls, and holds a golden goblet in her hand." "And on her brow is written a name, a mystery:" ""Great Babylon, the Mother of All Abominations on Earth,"" "The woman has drunk of the blood of all the saints." "The woman is drunk with the blood of the saints." "Doesn't sound bad, your offer." "It really doesn't sound bad, but..." "There you are!" "Then come with me, and I'll show you the wonders." "I'd rather not." "Anything you could show me now would only disappoint me." "Don't make the mistake of promising too much." "Everyone knows then he can only be disappointed." "But the sheer notion, buddy, is a real turn-on." "I've got to hand it to you, the idea is a real turn-on." "Always the same old tune." "The well-known difference between fantasy and sad reality." "A foreigner goes to a whore, a Russian one, a fat, strapping one." "He keeps looking at her beaver." "and he says, "Boy, nice and woolly!"" "And she says, "Do you want to knit or to fuck?"" "Hello." "Cheers." "What can I get you, sir?" "Three beers and a Kümmel." "Three beers?" "You heard what he said." "The gentleman wants three beers." "That's right." "Three beers and a Kümmel." "Down the hatch!" "Thank you, madam, but you don't need to say that." "I'm sure they'll go down well anyway." "The guy must really be parched." "A real lush." "You can tell right off." "He's obviously an alcoholic." "Baloney!" "He's just thirsty." "Where do you come from?" "I come from the cellar, from hops and malt." "Now I'm cool." "How do I taste?" "A little bitter, but otherwise nice and cool." "Yeah, I'll cool you off." "I cool men off, then I warm them up and relieve them of superfluous thoughts." "Superfluous thoughts?" "Yes." "Most thoughts are superfluous, aren't they?" "And where did they get you from?" "They distilled me, my boy." "Oh, yes!" "Sorry." "Of course." "Pardon me." "You've got quite a bite, buddy." "You've got real claws, hmm?" "Sure." "I'm a schnapps!" "Haven't seen one in a long time, huh?" "No." "I was almost dead, little schnapps." "Almost dead." "Set out without a return ticket." "Yeah, that's how you look." "Cut the crap, "That's how you look," or I'll finish you off right away." "Come here." "Hey!" "Is that guy crazy?" "What if he is?" "Who isn't crazy these days?" "The guy's" " your type, huh?" " What if he is?" "Oh, you're good, buddy!" "You've got fire in you." "You had fire in you." "Better stop now." "Another couple of beers, and maybe another Kümmel and a corn, and you'll be smashed." "You reckon?" "Yeah, he's right." "And you know how you'll look?" "Do you want to be seen in public like that?" "Come on." "Have another swig." "Okay, okay." "I'm knocking it back." "I don't have to be told twice." "One thing after another." "Everything in the right order." "And you?" "Don't you have anything to say to me?" "Well..." "Sure, I like you." "I believe you." "I believe you, my darling, every word you say." "You're my little lamb." "Why don't the two of us go out to pasture together?" " Give me another beer, please." " If you ask me, he's off his rocker." "I told you, no more than anyone else." "Cut the crap!" "Remember your Fritz!" "That's all I say." "So what?" "Do you mind if I sit down?" "Go ahead." "I liked the way you did that." "Were you a beer or a schnapps in your previous life?" "I beg your pardon, madam!" "There is no life before this one, just like there's none afterwards." " Are you so sure about that?" " Oh, yes." "I'm quite sure." "That's the one thing in the world I am sure about." "Say, where did you leave your arm?" "Oh, my arm." "I left it at home." "My girl wouldn't let me go." "I had to leave my arm as a pledge." " Well, I hope it's as amusing as you are." " You bet it is." "Haven't you heard?" "I've opened a business with my arm." "It stands around all day on the table, vowing that only those who work may eat." "Those who don't should go hungry." "That's what my arm insists." "Admission one nickel." "And the rabble comes and enjoys it." "How much was the beer?" " One eighty." " Here!" "Keep the change!" "Come on, then." "Let's get out of here." "A friend of mine used to have a newspaper stand here." "Let's see if he's still here." "If he's a friend, you must know whether he's still here or not." "Well, maybe not really a friend." "You never know for sure." "Look!" "He's still sitting there." "Look!" "Snoozing in the middle of the day." "He's probably tired." "Yeah, probably" "Franz?" "My God, Franz!" "You're back again." "And I thought I'd missed your funeral." "Counting your chickens before they're hatched, eh?" "It's good to see you back, Franz." "Really good." "But what's up?" "What have they done to your arm?" "My arm?" "Ah, you know, it always bothered me." "So I thought, "Get rid of it altogether!" "Then it won't bother you anymore,"" "Yeah, and they've cut off my other ball, too." "You see, we've both got a little less weight to carry around." "Look over there!" "Hey, Meck!" "Excuse me a second." "I'll be right back." " Hello, Franz." " Strange!" "The last time we met after such a long interval, we greeted each other differently, don't you think?" "Well, yesterday was yesterday." "A girl sits in the kitchen." "Her mother has gone shopping." "The girl is writing in a secret diary." "She is 26 years old, unemployed." "The last entry, for June 10th, reads:" ""Ive been feeling better since yesterday afternoon, but the good days are so few and far between now." "When my condition comes on," "I cant cope with anything." "The smallest things cause me great problems." "Im tormented by the thought of doing something wrong and causing harm as a result."" "August 14th:" ""For a week now, Ive felt very sick again." "I dont know what will become of me if it goes on like this." "I think if I didnt have anyone in the world," "I wouldnt hesitate to turn on the gas." "I couldnt do that to my mother." "But I wish Id get a serious illness and die of it."" "And today is today." "Yeah, and tomorrow is tomorrow." "I know." "Is something wrong?" "Have I done anything to you?" "My God!" "Look at me, Meck." "Yes, that's better." "Have you heard anything about Cilly?" "What's she doing?" "I don't know exactly, but I think she's doing fine." "I haven't heard anything from her." "Are you still with Pums?" "Yes." "Shall I tell you what I'm doing now?" "I've got plenty to do." "I work at the fairground on Elbingerstrasse as a barker for the carousel." ""Fifty pfennigs a ride," "Ladies and gentlemen!"" "And over on Romintenerstrasse, I'm the strongest one-armed man." "Come and see me there." "I started yesterday." "You can box with me." " Boxing with one arm?" " Come and take a look!" "What I can't cover up above," "I make up for with footwork." "I really make up for it." "Say, what's up with you, Franz?" "What should be up with me?" "I'm starting up again like before." "Why not?" "Or do you have some objection?" "Come and take a look at me boxing with one arm." "Or did you think I'm a eunuch, because I've got only one arm?" "Yeah, Franz, you sure had bad luck." "Well, that's how it has to be." "Hard luck for some, so that others get the breaks." "Maybe." "That's the way it is, Meck." "Believe me." "I can tell you a thing or two about justice." "That sounds like you're mad at me." "Wrong, Meck." "Completely wrong!" "Well, anyway, take care." "Bye." "Oh, Meck!" "Excuse me." "Just one more question." "I wanted to know, if you ever had a father." "A father?" " How do you mean?" " It would have interested me to know if you'd ever felt what it's like to lose your father." "Just as a matter of interest." "I don't know what you mean." "It doesn't matter." "Just think about it." "Maybe it'll occur to you someday." "Either I'm a free man or no man at all." "There is a Grim Reaper whose name is Death." "And now let's pull up our pants, stand up straight and march into Berlin." "You know what they did to my father?" "He was shot in the belly." "And now he's short-winded." "But suddenly it's supposed to be just a nervous illness." "So now they've reduced his pension." "Soon he won't get anything at all." "My God, nothing but cripples!" "Cripples here, cripples there." "They shouldn't give a cent to cripples." "You're good." "They drag you into war, then don't pay." "Serves you right!" "You don't get paid for other stupidities." "You were scarcely alive during the war." "You were still in diapers!" "As if that means anything." "That's not the point." "The stupid thing in Germany is that they pay benefits." "There are thousands running around, doing nothing and getting paid for it." "Just hold on a second, Willy." " What work do you do?" " Nothing." "I don't do anything either." "And if they go on paying me, I'll go on doing nothing." "That's why it's stupid to give me anything." " Just tell me this guy's not a big mouth." " Right." "Tell us, Franz." "You've got only one arm." "How much of a pension do you get?" "Who wants to know?" "That guy." "He's interested in the matter." "You're wrong there, madam." "I'm not interested at all." "All I'm saying is, anyone stupid enough to go to war..." "Ah, forget it." "Now he's scared!" "He needn't be scared of me." "Do you know where my arm is?" "The one missing here?" "I had it put in alcohol." "It's on top of the dresser at home, looking down at me all day and saying:" ""Hi, Franz, you blockhead!"" "Anyway, for my part, I wasn't in the war." "I was in a Siberian prison the whole time." "Now I live at home with my mother, and I've got rheumatism." "And if they try to take away my welfare money..." "Boy, you're crazy!" "How did you get your rheumatism?" "From street trading, right?" "In other words, if you've got weak bones, don't sell stuff on the street." " Maybe I should become a pimp?" " Exactly!" "No need to laugh." "There are worse jobs in the world." "Believe me!" "God knows there are worse jobs in the world." "Maybe you'll learn to play pool one day, though I don't see much chance for you." "You know, you're only 10 to 12 years younger than we are, but you're a hundred years smarter." "Boys, if I'd dared talk like that, when I was 20, it would have been:" ""Hands out of your pockets and stand up straight!"" "It's the same with us, only not out of our own pockets." "Tell me, sir, why must I love you?" "Why, oh, why is my heart so true" "At every hour" "Why must I look at you as well," "Just to keep you" "Under my spell?" "Why is it so...?" "My God!" "Who'd have thought it?" "What's the matter?" "Nothing." "I once knew a girl who looked just like her." "So similar." "I dont know why" "I dont know how" "I sway about the empty street" "I lose the ground beneath my feet" "For I am under your spell" "Yes, I am" "Under your spell" "I ask you why" "Please tell me why" "What's up?" "Has something happened?" "No." "No, no." "Nothing's happened." "Reinhold?" "Yes." "You knew he wasn't dead?" "You knew it!" "Yes." "I don't know what you're talking about, baby." "Who did I know wasn't dead, Cilly?" "Oh, yes, you knew perfectly well." "You knew perfectly well that he was still alive." "Franz." "You knew it perfectly well, and you deliberately didn't tell me." "Deliberately didn't tell me." "You're a swine!" "Reinhold." "That's what you are, a swine." "A miserable, dirty, rotten little swine." "Why didn't he tell me?" "Why didn't he tell me?" "Why?" "Picked that up cheap, eh?" "Three marks." "Fell off a truck, eh?" "That's none of my business." " Do you want one?" " No, thanks." "So they can nab me and ask:" ""Where did you get that watch?"" " He's afraid of a bit of theft." " Cut it out!" "He's got something against my watch." "For me, it's just a watch." "It works, and it's gold." "For three marks!" "I'll show you something else." "Give me your glass." "Okay, now tell me what that is." " A glass." " Right." "A drinking glass." "I wouldn't argue with that." "And what's this?" "The watch." "Are you putting me on?" "Sure, it's a watch." "It's not a boot and not a canary, but if you like, you can call it a boot." "You can do whatever you want." "That's your business." "I don't understand." "What are you getting at?" "You'll understand in a second." "Excuse me, madam." "Would you do me a favor?" "Would you just walk around a bit?" "Just walk." "Why?" "Why should I walk?" "Just because." "I don't feel like it." "Don't put on such a song and dance!" "Just go ahead and walk!" "Okay, what did she do?" "She stuck her tongue out at you:" " And what else?" " She walked." "Okay, she walked." "I didn't walk at all." "I was dancing." "You weren't dancing." "Since when is it dancing when someone sticks out her butt?" "You're right." "When you stick yours out, it's not dancing." "She was walking." "Well, I'd say she was marching." "Okay, so what's up now?" "Nothing's up." "You heard yourself." "Walking, dancing, marching, whatever you like." "And when someone takes a watch from someone, that doesn't mean it's been stolen." "It's been removed from a pocket, or a display, or from a store." "But stolen?" "Who says so?" " I assure you I don't." " And what do you say, then?" "You heard me," ""Removed,"" "It has changed owners." "That's what I say." "And you with your one arm had to go off with the Prussians." "You fought in the war." "To my mind that's wrongful deprivation of freedom." "But the courts and police are on their side, and they can shut you up." "And suddenly it's not "deprivation of freedom,"" "but military service." "You have to do it, like paying taxes." "And where do they go?" "Don't start talking politics, not this evening." "Give it a rest." "I have to use the john." "Baloney, Willy!" "The weather's far too nice for that." "Then go out on the street!" "You think politics is just in here, and I'm making it all up, right?" "As if politics needed me to make it up." "It pukes on you at every turn, if you put up with it, that is." "For God's sake, stop it!" "Let's drop the subject." "Shut up, all of you!" "Well, you can kiss my ass!" "I'm going." "When she comes back, tell her it was nice, but I've got other things to take care of." "And if you have a spare moment," "I live at Achim-von-Arnim-Strasse 32, at Mrs. Bast's." "End of part seven, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "I haven't seen you in a long time, Franz." "Sorry, Max." "I was attending a course, something in the nature of private lessons." "I had a lot to learn about life and so on." "Give me a beer, and maybe a small schnapps." ""Terrible family tragedy in the Ruhr area,"" "What's so funny about it?" "Listen to this, Max." "A father throws his three kids in the water, all three at once." "Boy, he must have been up to his neck in trouble." "But he's a guy you can rely on." "Hold on." "What did he do with his wife?" "He must have done something to her too." "No." "What do you know?" "She did it herself, beforehand, on her own." "Boy." "What a jolly family, eh, Maxie?" "They really know how to live." "There's no harmony in the family." "Her in the canal, him with a rope." "She tells him to hang himself, and he throws the kids in the water." "The guy must have been deaf." "My God, Maxie, nothing could come of a marriage like that." "I don't understand how you can laugh about it, Franz." "It's a sad story." "When you see something like that in a movie, you weep." "Weep about something like that?" "Why?" "The wife and three children." "Come on." "I think it's amusing." "I like the guy." "It's a pity about the kids, maybe, but doing in the whole family in one clean sweep..." "That calls for respect." "Let me see." "There, you see." "The guy's still alive." "They've caught him." "I wouldn't like to be in his shoes." "Who knows?" "Maybe he's sitting in his cell smoking his tobacco, if he gets any, and thinking, "You can all kiss my ass,"" "Pangs of conscience, my boy." "He's sobbing in his cell." "That's all he can do, and he can't sleep either." "I disagree completely." "He's sleeping like a log." "If he's such a tough guy, he can sleep all right." "He's eating and drinking better than he would outside." "I guarantee it, Maxie." "Franz, I don't know you like this." "It's a side of you I don't know." "I don't understand." "Cut the crap, Maxie." "Bring me some pigs' ears with peas instead." "With the first hole in your sleeve, you know it's high time to get a new suit." "Go straight to the right place, where in well-ordered stores, on broad tables, you'll be shown all the clothing you need." "Say what you like, Mrs. Bast, a man who's lost an arm, and the right one as well, is done for." "There's no denying it." "It's tough, but you don't have to keep complaining and making such a face." "But what am I supposed to do with one arm?" "Go on welfare, or open a little stand." "What kind of stand?" "Try newspapers again, or fabrics, or sell garters or collars outside Tietz or somewhere." "Or how about fruit?" "Part 8:" "The Sun Warms the Skin, but Burns It Sometimes Too" "I'm too old for that, Mrs. Bast." "For fruit, you have to be younger." "For fruit, you have to be younger." "You need a woman by your side again, Mr. Biberkopf." "You really need a woman again." "Someone you can talk to about everything, who'll stand by you in adversity, and who'll help pull the cart or sell at your stand when you're away." "Are you expecting someone?" "Not really." "I'll go take a look." "of the ten broadcasting corporations existing today, only two or three work to a profit." "All the others have difficulties breaking even..." "Someone for you." "A man wants to talk to you." "A man?" "Yes, a fairly young man." "Come in." "Well, hello, Willy." "Hello." "It wasn't easy to find you here." "Come on." "Come on now, Mrs. Bast." "Leave us alone for a few minutes." "We have to discuss something delicate, if you please." "To be honest," "I didn't seriously expect you to come." "But I'm glad you did." "Well," "I thought when you gave me your address, you must have had a reason." "So I thought I'd drop by." "Maybe I can help you, or something will come of it." "Take a seat." "Like some coffee?" "No, thanks." "I've had some already." "Okay, out with it." "What's on your mind?" "It's not so easy for me." "It often happens to me that I don't know where to begin." "Well...it's about the watch." "You know, the gold watch you were wearing, and what you said about it." "I thought maybe I could get in on the act, that I could somehow get involved." "I'd really like to join in." "Do you understand?" "With one arm, you know there's not much you can do." "You know what I mean?" "No, there's not much you can do." "But if you're smart, there is something you can do." "If I were to give you something every day, something to sell or to pass on under the table..." "You've got good friends." "You can all keep your mouths shut." "You could dispose of the stuff and earn good money." "Yeah." "That's it." "That's exactly what I want to do, stand on my own two feet, and do something to earn a fast buck." "Work's a load of baloney." "And the newspapers, I spit on them." "It makes me mad just looking at those knuckleheads, the news dealers." "How a guy can be so dumb, busting his ass, with cars driving past next to him?" "No, forget it." "That's over and done with." "Tegel." "Walking around Tegel, an avenue with black trees, the houses sway, the roofs threaten to fall on your head, but I've got to go straight." "Strange." "Franz Biberkopf has to go absolutely straight." "What do you say to that?" "It bowls you over, doesn't it?" "My God." "Jail must have affected my mind." "Manoli, left turn." "Need some money." "Money has to be earned." "A guy needs money." "In view of its composition, one may hope that he will not implement such an antisocial measure as increasing radio fees for a few million marks, which would cover a fraction of post office funding requirements, and would not necessarily be of economic benefit..." "You see a woman, clothed in purple and scarlet, decked with gold, precious stones and pearls, and with a golden cup in her hand." "She laughs, and on her brow is written the name, a mystery, "The Great Babylon,"" "the mother of all whoring and all atrocities on Earth." "She has drunk the blood of all the saints." "She is drunk from the blood of the saints." "The whore of Babylon sits there, has drunk the blood of the saints." "Excuse me, buddy, you tell me the same bullshit every day." "Every day the same bullshit." "Yeah." "What do you hope to get out of it?" "What do you hope to get out of it?" "Pleasure for you." "True pleasure, buddy." "The love of the great whore Babylon, who has drunk the blood of all the saints." "Can you simply spurn her?" "Hello, Franz." "Hello, Willy." "Did anyone see you?" "No." "No one saw me." "Then come in." "A consignment of furs has arrived from Leipzig." "Are you interested in something like that?" "No, Willy." "Furs are too hot for me." "I thought as much." "Like some coffee?" "No, thanks." "Were you drunk again yesterday?" "Maybe." "It's highly probable, in fact." "From a certain point, I don't know anymore." "No, no, Willy." "Forget it." "Furs are too hot for me." "Small things, a gold watch or something," "I'll be glad to take." "Not at the moment." "Just the furs from Leipzig." "What did you get up to yesterday?" "Screwing." "Suddenly I'm in bed with a big fat blond." "Says her husband's away on assembly work or something." "I don't even know how I wound up going home with her." "I must have had my mind on something else." "But do you know what I think?" "I think she had the clap." "Don't worry." "Just get yourself examined." "Five shots and you can forget it." "Unless you're afraid of injections..." "But you get used to that too." "Come on." "Do you think the Earth will stand still because you've got a hole in your head?" "No, I don't think that." "Though it would be decent of it if it did." "Don't you think so?" "Sure, but what's decent anyway?" "You're right again there." "Exactly." "Someone to see you." "Eva." "My God, Eva." "Hi, Herbert." "Boy, oh, boy." "You sure look the part." "Washing your legs in champagne now, eh?" "My God, Herbert." "The way he looks." "Do you understand it?" "Like I said, he's washing his legs in champagne." "Only 20 marks." "Impeccable." "Only 20 marks, I tell you." "And for special occasions, I got myself an iron Cross, as a kind of legitimation for my arm." "What do you say?" "My God, Franz." "And we sat there wondering what Franz was up to." "We were really worried." "Baloney, Eva." "No need to worry about me, really not." "What do you say, Herbert?" "Well, you can never be sure." "Anyway, take a seat." "Come on." "Sit down." "Take a seat, Herbert." "That's my favorite disc." "Brand-new." "I just bought it." "I could listen to it all day." "Like some cognac?" "I've got whiskey too." "A cognac, please." "What about you?" "I've been waiting a long time for you to have a drink at my place." "I've really been waiting for this moment." "Boy, Franz." "How it suits you." "It really bowls you over." "Let's drink to something." "Eva, Herbert, cheers." "Cheers." "Okay." "Tell me how it was in Zoppot." "Did it all go off well?" "Well, it was quite amusing, but Eva's boyfriend had some bad luck." "He had good luck gambling." "Fabulous, but on the day when he withdrew 10,000 marks from the bank, he was robbed in his hotel room." "No." "While he was downstairs dining with Eva." "No." "Can you believe it?" "That's what I say." "The room was opened nice and neatly with a skeleton key." "His gold watch was gone, and 5000 marks he had left in the drawer of his bedside table." "It wasn't really negligence on his part." "Who would think of a thing like that?" "In a first-class hotel, that thieves could simply sneak in there?" "Then the guy flies into a rage and shouts at Eva because she made him hurry down to dinner." "He really screamed at her." "But I told him straight." ""Honeybunch," I said," ""it's not very polite to treat me like this." "Is it my fault?"" "He was so upset, he wanted to go home right away." "Which, for the two of us, was the best thing that could happen." "There you are, Franz." "You see what tragic things happen in this world." "Yes, Herbert." "You see what fate holds in store for us." "I thought I was going to die laughing." "I can think of worse ways to die." "Yes." "Me too." "Me too." "Stop it." "Stop laughing." "I can't take any more." "Tell me instead how I look as a war hero." "A war hero in a striped suit, eh?" "You look good to me." "You look good to me, better than ever." "I'm really happy the way you look now." "Me too." "Franz, who are you going out with now?" "Going out with?" "Oh, I see." "No, no." "Oh, you mean because of this here?" "No, this is for something else." "I'm not going with anyone at the moment." "I'm..." "I'm on my own." "Thank God, Franz." "You see, I've got one for you, the right one." "What have you got for me?" "A girl." "I've got a girl for you." "Now that you're alone, you need a girl." "Anyone can see that a mile away." "So I looked for one for you." "And when I look, sure enough I find one." "She's at your service right now." "How is that gonna work out, Eva?" "I don't even know the girl." "Maybe she won't like me, and with my arm..." "Maybe she'll find it repulsive." "Baloney." "She'll love you." "That's what she'll do." "Ask Herbert." "Yeah." "She's all right." "I know her, Franz." "And where do you know her from?" "She hasn't been in Berlin very long." "She's from Bernau." "She turned up every evening at Stettiner Station." "That's where I met her, and I told her:" ""You'll end up going to the dogs, kid, if you don't cut it out." "Always coming over here to Berlin where you can't make a living,"" "But she just laughed and said:" ""I just want to have some fun," She just wants to have some fun." "The girl's right." "I know Bernau." "It's dead at night." "I know, Franz." "That's why I took the girl under my wing." "She can't go to Stettiner Station anymore." "She got caught in a raid there, you see?" "And if you're a real man with any sense, Franz, you can really make something out of the girl." "I've seen her." "She's got class." "A bit young, but she's got class and strong bones." "Come on." "Let's dance." "Come on." "Sorry, Eva." "It's because of my arm." "I haven't learned to dance with one arm yet." "I will though." "You don't have to apologize." "It's my fault too." "I'm sorry." "When do you think" "I'll meet her?" "You've known me so long, and you still ask questions like that." "What's that supposed to mean?" "Quite simple, she's down below in the street." "If I open the window and wave to her, she'll come up." "What?" "She's standing in the street?" "Where else?" "She has to see me wave." "Makes sense, doesn't it?" "Yeah, I guess it makes sense." "Okay then, I'll wave to her." "Wait a second." "Maybe..." "What's the matter?" "Are you shy or what?" "I'm not shy at all." "I haven't become shy." "What's the matter, then?" "I was just thinking..." "Leave the thinking to me." "You know her, Franz." "When she gets something in her head..." "Yeah, I know her." "Well, then you shouldn't be surprised." "Come on, darling." "We're in the way here." "Hey, what's up?" "You can't just leave me here alone." "Do you need a nanny now?" "No, Eva, of course not." "Well, then." "Leaving already?" "We have to." "But leave the door open." "There's another visitor coming for Mr. Biberkopf." "Can I do anything else for you?" "No, no." "Thanks very much." "Hello." "Hello." "Should I maybe close the door?" "Yes." "Please, close the door." "It's like the sun rising." "Pardon me?" "Oh, nothing important." "Don't do that." "Come here." "Sit on my lap." "What's your name?" "Well, actually, my name's Emilie Karsunke, but I prefer to be called Sonia." "Eva called me that once, because my cheekbones look so Russian." "Eva is not her real name either." "It's Emilie, just like mine." "She told me so herself." "One day, she just called herself Eva, and then Eva was her name." "Yeah, I know the guy who first called her Eva." "What?" "Yeah, it was me." "She belonged to me once, Eva did, before I met Ida." "Well, now you've got me here." "Yes." "Now I've got you here." "Only..." "Yes?" "Oh, nothing." "Nothing bad." "It's just, you know," "I can't stand these foreign names." "And if you're from Bernau, you could have a different name." "You know, I've had a lot of girls, as you can imagine, but I never had one called Marie." "And I'd like one with that name." "Marie?" "Yes." "Marie." "I think it's a lovely name." "But I don't have to call you Marie." "I'll just call you Mieze." "Do you like that?" "Mieze?" "Oh, yes." "That's nice." "Mieze." "Mieze." "Miez, Miez, Miez." "Is she thinking as she sits there doing nothing?" "And what is she thinking?" "When he asks, she laughs and says she's not thinking of anything." "You can't think all day long, as he agrees too." "The way you do that, rowing with one arm..." "The way you do it..." "What choice do I have?" "Sooner or later, I must learn to do everything with one arm." "And doing it for you is twice as much fun." "Do you believe me?" "In bed, she's as gentle as a feather, quiet, tender, and as happy as at the start." "And she's always a little serious." "He can never quite figure her out." "Franz." "My dear, dear Franz, did you hurt yourself?" "My God, you're bleeding." "A little drop of blood, Mieze, and it doesn't hurt at all." "I should have been more careful." "It was my own fault, Mieze." "Why do you look at me so sadly?" "Mieze." "My baby." "What's the matter?" "Is something wrong?" "No, it's nothing." "It's just that I love you so much." "I'm absolutely crazy about you." "The girl is so tender it's unbelievable." "In her parlor, everything's so tidy, with flowers and ribbons," "like a little girl's room." "Morning, miss." "He's sleeping." "When a guy's sleeping, let him sleep." ""To my dear, dear Franz, from his silly Mieze,"" "What is it?" "Oh, you're up already." "There's a visitor for you." "The young man who was here recently." "I told him you were asleep, but maybe..." "It's okay." "Let him in." "You can come in." "Mr. Biberkopf's up already." "He's just woken up." "Hi, Franz." "Hi, Willy." "I was getting really worried." "You wanted to drop by yesterday." "I waited and waited." "I wondered what was up." "So I came here." "It's all right, Willy." "It's okay." "Look." "Mieze gave me this as a present," "like it was my birthday." "Only it's not my birthday." "The way that girl can manage money..." "Boy, you could up and marry a girl like that." "What do you think?" "Look." "She gave me this little birdy too." "Why didn't you show up yesterday?" "I'm really sorry, Willy, but I was out with Mieze, and I forgot all about it." "I forgot all about it." "I'm really sorry." "It's all right, Franz." "No need to apologize." "It's just that" "I have to know whether I can count on you." "I just have to know." "Sure you can count on me." "No question about it." "I just missed out yesterday." "I...was with Mieze, and everything was so nice, and..." "Well, we were so happy." "I'm really sorry about that, Willy." "It's okay." "I'll expect you this afternoon." "You can count on me." "I'll be there for sure." "I'll be off, then." "Must see what's up." "See you this afternoon." "Sure." "Bye." "Yes?" "A letter's come for Miss Mieze." "A letter for Mieze?" "See for yourself." "Shall I make some coffee?" "It's freshly ground." "No, thanks, Mrs. Bast." "It's not good for my heart." "On Brunnenstrasse, where they're excavating below ground, a horse has fallen into the pit." "Onlookers have been standing around for half an hour." "The fire department arrives with a truck." "They draw a belt around the horse's belly." "It's standing on water mains and gas pipes." "Maybe it has broken a leg." "It's trembling and whinnying." "All one can see from above is its head." "They hoist it up with a winch." "The horse thrashes furiously with its legs." "Franz Biberkopf is there." "He jumps down into the pit to the fireman, and helps push the horse forward." "Everyone is amazed at what Franz can do with one arm." "They pat the horse." "It's in a lather, but unhurt." "A strange little wagon rolls through the city, a cart with a paralyzed man who trundles his way forward with his arms." "Fixed to the cart are lots of colored pennants." "Along Schönhauser Allee, the man rolls." "He stops at every corner." "People crowd around him, and a helper sells postcards for 10 pfennigs." ""Globetrotter Johann Kierbach, born on February 20, 1874, in Mönchengladbach, healthy and active until the outbreak of the World War, when my hard-working efforts were ended by a stroke that paralyzed my right side." "But I recovered enough to be able to walk alone for hours on end and pursue my profession, which saved my family from the worst privations." "In November 1924, the population of the Rhineland rejoiced when the national railroad was freed from Belgian control." "Many Germans got drunk for joy, which proved to be a disaster for me." "On that day, I was returning home, when, less than 300 meters from my apartment," "I was knocked down by a group of men leaving a bar." "It was a terrible stroke of fate, for I am now crippled for life and will never walk again." "I have no pension nor any other means of support." "Johann Kierbach."" "And one of the boys says, "Quite right too." "They shouldn't spend a cent on cripples."" "But then an old man asks:" ""Does a guy like that have to become a pimp?"" "And the boy says, quite seriously:" ""Yes." "It's nothing to laugh about." "You should see my brother's wife, my sister-in-law." "They're decent people, as good as the next." "Do you think they were embarrassed?" "They let themselves be paid that trash, welfare money." "He ran around looking for work, and she didn't know how to manage on the few cents she had with two little brats at home." "The woman couldn't go to work." "Well, she met a guy, and then maybe she met another guy." "Until he got wise, my brother." "Well, he came to me and said" "I should go and hear what he was going to tell his wife." "He came to the right guy, I tell you."" "Yes, I'm coming." "My God." "Okay, I'm coming." "Oh, it's you." "It sounded like the riot squad." "Look at this." "Mieze received this letter today." "It's a love letter." "Do you understand?" "My Mieze received a love letter." "It's a love letter, Eva." "My Mieze got a love letter from another guy." "From another guy." "A love letter." "My Mieze." "And you opened it?" "Yes." "Ever heard of privacy?" "What do I care about goddamned privacy when my Mieze gets a love letter from another guy?" "There's no privacy anymore." "I draw the line there." "Why are you looking at me like that?" "What's up?" "Come on, Eva." "What's all this?" "Hey, Eva, behave yourself." "What will Herbert think?" "Herbert went to Breslau two days ago, and won't be back until the day after tomorrow." "What's up with you, my girl?" "Have you gone crazy or what?" "Herbert's really not here?" "You can take my word for it." "It's a dirty thing to do, in his own apartment." "You're so sweet." "I'm crazy about you, Franz." "My God, you'll have marks on your neck." "Come on, Franz, come on." "I could devour you." "I want you so much." "My God, Eva." "What will Herbert say when he sees the marks?" "They'll turn black and blue." "Come on, Franz." "I'm going to my client afterwards." "I can say I got them from him." "What will your client say when he sees the marks?" "And what will my aunt say?" "And what will my grandma say?" "My God, Franz." "What's up with you?" "Nothing's up, Eva, nothing at all." "Okay," "I'm going now, to have a word with Mieze." "You, Eva?" "How come?" "Quite simply because I want to." "You stay here." "I'll be right back." "You can let me have my way for once." "Surely I can take care of a little girl who doesn't have any experience," "like Mieze, here in Berlin." "My Mieze received a love letter." "Mieze." "Mieze, don't run away." "What's up?" "Has something happened?" "Don't get upset, Mieze." "Just come with me." "Back to Elsässer Strasse." "Eva, what's happened?" "Here." "This letter came today, and Franz opened it." "What's so funny?" "The way he writes, it's so funny." "I've never read anything like it." "Hey, sweetie." "I don't think you were listening." "The letter you're reading, which is addressed to you, is a love letter, and Franz opened it." "Then it's all over." "Am I right, Eva?" "It's all over now." "And I love Franz so much that it hurts." "That's how much I love him." "There's only one thing for it." "You must tell him." "I should tell him?" "Sure." "If you don't tell him, he'll think you really do have a lover." "But if you were to tell him, maybe he'd accept it." "Maybe." "That would be good, Eva." "Did he like the canary?" "Oh, I can't tell him." "I simply can't." "I'd rather never go back home again." "I can't tell him." "Can't you tell him about it, Eva?" "You're so smart." "You could break it to him." "You can do it." "He listens to you." "Please, Eva." "Give it a try." "Okay." "If you want, I'll give it a try." "Darling, I must get out here." "I'll do my best, but I can't promise anything." "Do you have some money?" "See you later." "The corner of Jean-Paul and Mosesstrasse, please." "1928 is a major election year in Europe." "In Germany, numerous parties are campaigning for votes..." "Back already?" "I guess so." "How long did I sleep?" "An hour at the most." "Eva..." "Tell me what was up." "With Mieze?" "Yes." "Nothing special." "She just laughed when she read the letter." "She laughed her head off." "I refuse to hear anything bad about her." "How can she laugh about it?" "It's no laughing matter." "I don't think the letter means anything." "She just laughed when she read it." "But the most important thing was that she asked me if you liked the canary." "Well..." "You listen to me." "One thing I can tell you, she didn't bat an eye, Franz." "I thought she was great." "She's a good girl." "What do you mean a good girl?" "If she lives with me and has a lover who writes her letters, and she never told me anything about it," "then she's no longer my Mieze." "Franz, don't you understand?" "A girl wants to do something for her guy too." "What does she have if you're running around all day, wheeling and dealing, and all she does is make coffee and clean up?" "She wants you to be pleased." "She wants to give you something." "She wants to share her life with you." "That's why she does it." "And you swallow that?" "That's why she cheats on me?" "What kind of reason is that?" "There's no cheating involved." "She said that right away." "There's no question of that." "If some guy writes her a letter, that doesn't mean a thing." "Maybe a guy gets stuck on her, so he writes a letter." "That's nothing new for you, surely?" "Here we go again." "That's how the wind blows, eh?" "End of part eight, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "She wants to earn money, and rightly so." "I earn my own money as well." "And if she doesn't like you supporting her, which you can't properly, with your arm..." "She said that right away." "She's a great girl." "You can count on her, Franz." "Franz, what's the matter?" "It's June now in Berlin, in spite of everything." "The weather remains warm and rainy." "There's a lot going on in the world." "The airship Italia, with General Nobile onboard, has crashed and is radioing its position northeast of Spitsbergen, where it's difficult to reach." "Another aircraft had better luck:" "It flew nonstop from San Francisco to Australia in 77 hours and made a perfect landing there." "The king of Spain is quarreling with dictator General Primo." "Let's hope the matter will sort itself out." "Pleasantly touched, and at first sight too:" "An engagement between Baden and Sweden." "A princess from the land of matches is all aflame for a prince from Baden." "When one considers how far apart Baden and Sweden are, it's amazing how a thing like that can happen." "Women are my weak point, a mortal weakness." "When I kiss the first one," "I think of the second and steal a glance at the third." "Yes, yes." "Women are a weakness of mine." "But what can I do?" "I can't help it, and even if I go broke with women," "I'll write "sold out" on the door to my heart." "And Charlie Amberg adds:" ""I'll tear out an eyelash and stab you with it dead." "Then I'll take my lipstick and paint you all red." "And if you're still mean to me, I know what I'll do:" "I'll order fried eggs and throw spinach at you." "You, you, you." "I'll order fried eggs and throw spinach at you."" "On Monday, the electric street-car system starts running." "The Imperial Railroad Board warns of the dangers involved:" ""Attention." "Caution." "Don't board the car." "Stand back." "You are committing an offense..."" "Franz?" "Say something, Franz." "Don't you feel well?" "No, no." "I just felt a little queasy." "You see?" "That's exactly what Mieze always says." ""You should take it easy," she said," ""because of all you've gone through, Franz,"" "You didn't have an easy time out in Tegel either." "She'd be ashamed to let you slave away for her." "She'd rather go work for you." "She just didn't dare to tell you about it." "Yeah, yeah." "You have no idea how much the girl's stuck on you." "You don't want me." "Or do you want me, Franz?" "No, Eva." "You're a great broad, but you've got to stay with Herbert." "He needs you." "He's a decent guy." "Okay, now you must go find Mieze." "Come on." "She won't come home if you don't want her anymore." "Okay, okay." "It's all right." "It's all right." "Okay, then." "Corner of Jean-Paul and Mosesstrasse by the construction site." "You can't miss it." "Mosesstrasse, by the construction site." "Very quietly, tenderly, Franz took his leave of Eva." "It's okay." "I'm all right, Franz." "Don't cry, Mieze." "Please don't cry." "You know what I'm going to do, Mieze?" "Something I should have done long ago." "Today I can do it." "Today I'm strong enough." "I'll be back home at 8." "What's up, buddy?" "No stories today?" "What's the use?" "You don't listen to me anyway, let alone come into our establishment and take advantage of our special offer." "Just be a good guy and tell me your story again." "Try it on me again." "Okay." "What do I care?" "By the waters sits the Great Babylon, mother of whoring and all abominations." "See how she sits on the scarlet beast with her seven heads and 10 horns." "You must see it." "Every step you take is a joy to her." "She's drunk with the blood of saints whom she tears apart." "Behold the horns with which she butts." "From the abyss she comes, and leads to damnation." "Look at her: the pearls, the scarlet, the jewels, the teeth, the way she bares them." "Her thick, full lips." "Blood has flowed over them." "With them, she has drunk." "O Whore of Babylon." "Golden yellow poisonous eyes, bloated throat." "See how she smiles at you." "Well, are you satisfied now?" "It's a nice story, but I've got one as well." "There's a fly that is crawling and crawling and crawling and it settles down in a flowerpot." "The sand trickles off it, but it doesn't mind." "It simply shakes it off." "Then it stretches its black head forward and crawls out." "You don't like my story, huh?" "No, your story's not so bad." "Maybe you could elaborate on it a bit." "That's something you can learn:" "how to tell stories." "All right." "I'll give it a try." "Left, right, left, right, left, right..." "All the best!" "Just don't imagine you're tired, Franz." "Keep going right past every bar." "No boozing." "We'll have to see about that." "Left, right..." "Left, right, left, right." "About the Eternities" "Between the Many and the Few" "What do you want of me?" "What do we have to say to each other?" "I'm not so sure myself, Reinhold, but I guess we'll find out soon." "Some time ago, I lost my arm after it was run over." "I used to be a decent guy." "People would swear an oath to that." "But now I'm a pimp." "Maybe we could just discuss who's to blame for that." "And put your gun away." "You've nothing to fear from me." "How about letting me in?" "All right." "If you really want to..." "I told you to put your gun away." "That would be sheer stupidity, Reinhold." "You'll just make trouble for yourself." "Take a seat, Franz." "Once there were three kings who came from the Orient, bearing incense, which they swung to and fro." "Why are you staring like that, Franz?" "Are you drunk?" "No, I'm not drunk, Reinhold." "I just wanted to see you." "What do you intend to do?" "Turn the thumbscrews?" "Blackmail me because of what happened?" "All right." "How much do you want?" "But you know we're prepared for that." "And we know you're a pimp too." "Yes, I am a pimp." "What should I do with one arm?" "Okay." "What do you want?" "Nothing at all, Reinhold." "Nothing at all." "By the way, Cilly was here with me again." "Just passing through." "You know, when I haven't had a girl for a few months," "I can have her again." "A repeat performance is a strange thing, you know." "Cheers." "You've got two hands, Reinhold, and two arms." "I've got only one." "And with your two hands, you threw me out of the car," "Reinhold." "Why?" "That's life." "I really ought to kill you." "But that's just what the others think." "I don't want that at all." "It's just the others." "That's not what I think at all." "What do I think?" "I don't know anything." "I can't do anything." "But I have to, I wanted to do something." "I'm not a man at all." "I'm just chickenshit." "Franz?" "Listen." "Franz." "I'm sorry." "Sorry." "I was somewhere else for a moment." "Forget it." "It doesn't matter." "It's just that I'd like to see..." "I'd like to see your injury." "It looks rather nasty." "It's a lot better now, you know." "It used to be much worse." "Do you always keep your sleeve in your pocket like that?" "Do you stick it in yourself, or is it sewn in?" "No." "I stick it in like that every time." "With your other hand?" "Sometimes this way, sometimes that." "Look, when I've got the jacket on, it's not so easy." "You must be careful not to put anything in your right-hand pocket." "It would be easy to pinch it." "Not from me." "Couldn't you buy an artificial arm?" "When a guy loses a leg, he puts on a false one." "It'd look better, huh?" "No, Reinhold." "It would just rub." "Well, I'd buy one for myself." "Or maybe stuff out the sleeve." "Come on." "Let's try it." "What for?" "Then you wouldn't run around with a floppy sleeve." "You don't have to see it a mile away." "What use is it to me?" "Just watch." "A few pairs of underpants, undershirts..." "You'll see." "Reinhold, what use is it to me?" "It won't stay like that." "It'll look like a sausage." "No." "That's not right." "You must get a tailor to do it." "It's better like that." "You don't have to run around like a cripple." "It'd look as if you had your hand in your pocket." "I can't stand cripples." "A cripple's no good for anything." "When I see a cripple," "I always say it'd be better to do away with him altogether." "That's more or less what I think too." "You know, you're right, Reinhold." "A cripple can't do as he wants anymore." "Maybe it'd really be better to do away with him altogether." "That's what I'm saying." "Yes, and you're right too." "I'll tell you one thing, Mieze:" "You can do what you like, but I'll never let you go." "Never." "You don't have to say that, Franz." "I'll never leave you." "Never." "See you this evening, then." "Wait a minute." "I was going out myself." "I'll come with you." "Mrs. Bast." "Yes, Miss Mieze?" "We're going now." "Be so good as to close the window later." "About 6 or 6:30, okay?" "Sure." "Thanks." "Bye, Mrs. Bast." "Bye." "Hello, Willy." "You're lucky." "I was just going out." "Hello, Franz." "Oh, I'm sorry." "This is Mieze, my Mieze." "And this is Willy." "We got to know each other." "We've been working together and so on." "Hello." "Hello." "I must be going, Franz." "See you tonight, darling." "Bye." "Well, what do you say now?" "Give me a hand." "The chick looks okay." "What do you mean, okay?" "She's an angel." "An angel, I tell you." "Didn't you see how innocent she looks, and how sweet?" "Sure I saw it." "I was amazed that a working girl could look like that." "She does that because she loves me." "Oh, boy." "Hi, Maxie." "Hi, Franz." "Boy, the weather's great." "A beer." "Double kümmel." "Beer with a dash." "Waldmeister or raspberry?" "Waldmeister." "Okay, Waldmeister." "Hello, birdy." "Come on." "You can bring the schnapps first." "Franz, Franz, what have they done with you?" "What's the problem, Maxie?" "Do you want to give a sermon every time?" "It's not a sermon, Franz, just the truth." "Or am I wrong?" "Didn't you swear to go straight?" ""Come with me," says the man to his son and sets out, and his son goes with him into the mountains." ""How much farther is it, Father?"" ""I don't know." "Just follow me."" "Uphill, downhill, through valleys they go." "The path is long." "It is midday." ""Here we are." "Look around you, my son." "There stands an altar."" ""I'm afraid, Father."" ""Why are you afraid, my son?"" ""You woke me early and we set out from home." "We forgot the ram we were going to slaughter."" ""Yes, we forgot it."" ""I'm afraid, Father."" ""I, too, am afraid, my son." "Come closer." "Don't be afraid." "We have to do it."" ""What do we have to do?"" ""Don't be afraid, my son." "Do it gladly." "Come closer to me." "I have already removed my coat." "Now I won't bloody my sleeves."" ""I'm afraid because you're holding the knife."" ""Yes, I am holding the knife." "For I must slaughter you, sacrifice you." "It is God's command." "Submit gladly, my son."" ""I don't want to be slaughtered."" ""Don't cry, my son." "If you are not willing, I cannot do it." "Submit gladly to it." "What do you want at home?" "God is more than just a home."" ""I cannot." "Yes, I can." "No, I cannot."" ""Come closer." "Look." "I'm holding the knife ready." "Look at it." "It's very sharp." "It's ready for your throat."" ""Is it to cut my throat?"" ""Yes."" ""Then the blood will gush out."" ""Yes." "That is what the Lord commands." "Do you want it?"" ""I cannot yet, Father."" ""I may not slay you." "If I do it, it must be as if you did it yourself."" ""I, myself?"" ""Yes, and you mustn't be afraid." "You may not love life, your own life." "You surrender it for the Lord." "Come closer."" ""The Lord, our God, wishes it?"" ""You would not be faint-hearted."" ""Put the knife to my throat." "Wait." "Let me turn back my collar so that my neck is completely free."" ""You just have to want it, and so must I." "We shall do it together." "Then the Lord will call." "We shall hear him call:" ""Stop it!"" ""Yes."" ""Come here." "Give me your neck."" ""Here." "I am not afraid." "I do it gladly." "Cleave me apart." "I shall not cry out."" "And the son leans his head back." "His father moves behind him, holds his son by the brow, wields the knife in his right hand." "His son wishes it." "The Lord calls out, and both fall prostrate." "What does the voice of the Lord call out?" ""Hallelujah!" "You are obedient to me." "Hallelujah!" "You shall live." "Hallelujah!" "Let it be." "Throw the knife into the abyss." "Hallelujah!" "I am the Lord, whom you obey, whom alone you must always obey." "Hallelujah!"" "You used to lead a foul life." "You fell into bad ways." "Then you killed Ida, and served time for it." "And now?" "You see, you don't even have an answer." "You're back where you were again." "Ida is now Mieze, you've lost an arm, and you've started drinking again, just as bad as before." "And that means the same thing all over again, only worse." "And then it'll all be over, Franz." "Baloney." "Is it my fault?" "Was I so keen on becoming a pimp?" "Cut the crap." "I did what I could:" "everything humanly possible." "You saw that, didn't you?" "I even lost an arm." "Just let somebody say something." "I'm fed up with it." "Didn't I give it my best shot?" "Didn't I run around morning, noon and night?" "Suddenly I got the message." "Okay, so you're right." "What do I care?" "So I'm not a decent guy." "I'm a pimp, but I'm not ashamed of it." "And anyway, what are you?" "What do you live on?" "You live on other people too, don't you?" "Have I ever bled anyone dry?" "You know me, Franz." "You know me pretty well." "You know I wouldn't talk like this if I didn't like you." "You know that very well." "Yeah, maybe." "It's true, Franz." "One thing I can tell you:" "you'll end up in jail again, or with a knife in your gut." "Sure, so I get a knife in my gut." "That's okay." "But mark my words, Maxie:" "not before the other guy's had a taste of mine." "That's the one thing I don't understand, Franz, that you keep on doing this to yourself." "The same old story." "Well, I've always come here." "You see?" "That's what I mean:" "you always come here." "It's important not to stick with the same old things." "Don't you understand?" "Okay, that may be true." "But this is my hangout." "It doesn't have to be forever, though." "Yes, but" "No buts, Franz." "But..." "I know what:" "There's a meeting today, in about half an hour." "They're talking about these things." "We'll go along." "A meeting?" "In the middle of the afternoon?" "Yes." "Why not?" "With all the unemployed around, they can hold their meetings in the afternoon." "And the few guys who still have jobs but who want to attend will just have to be sick today." "Okay." "What do I care?" "The German Reich is a republic, and anyone who doesn't believe it will get a bullet in the neck." "All the Reichstag is good for is taking the people for a ride, and the parties know that best of all." "Just look at the Socialists:" "they don't want anything, they know nothing and are not capable of anything." "They've got the most seats in the Reichstag, but they don't know what to do with them." "All they do is sit around in club chairs, smoking cigars and waiting to be made ministers." "That's what the workers gave their votes for, and their money too, so that 50 or 100 men can get fat at their expense." "The Socialists didn't seize political power." "Political power has seized the Socialists." "That's why we won't touch another ballot." "We won't vote anymore, because on a Sunday like that, it's healthier to take a spin in the country." "And why?" "Because the voters are tied down by legalities, and legalities mean coercion, the brute force of the ruling classes." "No one is meant to notice what the state really is." "Not even to see the cracks and crevices through which one could peep, because then even the greatest fool would realize that he's just another gullible voter." "One of the common herd, just one of the common herd." "What an infinite distance there is between him and the state of which he's meant to believe he's a part." "The bourgeoisie and the Socialists and the Communists are happy and shout in chorus:" ""All blessings come from above." "From the state, from law, from the authorities." "Freedom is anchored in the constitution,"" "It's quite true that freedom's anchored there, anchored so firmly it's stuck fast." "You'll soon come to realize, ladies and gentlemen, just how firmly that freedom is stuck." "But elections are held, and more elections, and every time, they say things will certainly get better, most certainly." "But I can tell you, ladies and gentlemen, just how much better everything will get." "For example, soon the right to strike will be taken from us." "But we have the guillotine of the arbitration councils, under which we are free to move." "No, ladies and gentlemen," "I tell you, it's all a cycle of endless blindness, and nothing will change." "The parliamentary system prolongs the misery of the working classes." "Egyptian slaves worked without machines for decades on a Pharaoh's tomb." "European workers" "labor for decades with machines to heap up some private fortune." "Progress?" "Maybe." "But for whom?" "Soon I'll be working, to help Krupp in Essen or Borsig earn a thousand marks more a month." "What choice do you have but to work, if you want to live?" "Just a minute." "Stand still a moment." "Tell me, please, what the difference is between you and someone from the Social Democrats." "Well..." "Do you ask that in all seriousness?" "Sure I do." "Look, you stand at your lathe and take your two bits home with you, while your corporation distributes dividends earned from your work." "European workers slave away with machines for decades, heaping up some private fortune." "Is that true or not?" "Yes, okay." "And what do you do?" "Come on, Franz, you tell him." "What the hell." "I'm not interested in political discussions." "This isn't a political discussion." "We're just talking about ourselves." "Out with it." "What kind of job do you have?" "There is a reaper whose name is Death." "I must weep and wail on the mountains and lament in the desert among the herds, for they are so ravaged that no one ventures there." "Both the birds of the heavens and the beasts, all are gone." "Come on." "Tell us what work you do." "Oh, I get around." "I do this and that." "I don't actually work." "I let others work for me." "So you're an entrepreneur with employees." "How many do you have?" "And what are you doing here anyway, if you're a capitalist?" "I want to reduce Jerusalem to rubble and the abode of jackals, and lay waste the cities of Judah, so that no one can dwell in them." "That's just an excuse." "What do you mean?" "Haven't you noticed I've got only one arm?" "That's the price I paid for working." "And that's why I don't want to hear anything about honest work." "I still don't understand, buddy, why you don't work." "If you don't have an honest job, you must have a dishonest one." "There you are." "He's caught on at last." "Come over here, Willy." "That's it:" "dishonest work." "Your honest work is slavery." "You said so yourself just now." "That's what honest work is, and I learned my lesson." "Okay, so you don't work." "But you don't seem to be on welfare either." "No, I'm not on welfare either." "Then I'd just like to ask, though it's none of my business, what you're doing here." "I was waiting for that question." "You were talking just now about damned wage slavery, and saying that we are all outcasts with no room to move." "Yes, but you weren't listening properly." "I was talking about refusing to work." "But to do that, you've got to have a job first." "And that's what I refuse to do." "That doesn't help us." "You might just as well go to bed." "I was talking about a strike, a mass strike, a general strike." "And that's what you call direct action?" "It's just talk." "Talk and more talk, yet you go to work and make the capitalists stronger." "You idiot." "Hey." "You make shells for them, which they later use to shoot you dead." "And you want to teach me something?" "Did you hear that, Willy?" "Boy, it bowls you over." "I ask you again what work you do." "And I tell you again: nothing!" "Not a lick." "You can all kiss my ass, because" "I shouldn't do any work, according to your theory." "I'm not boosting any capitalists." "And I don't give a damn about your bitching and strikes and what you keep going on about, what's supposed to happen someday." "I don't give a damn." "You've got to stand on your own two feet." "What I need, I do myself." "I'm self-sufficient." "Just try to go it alone!" "Alone, you can't do anything." "We need militant organizations." "What?" "We have to set up militant organizations." "Do you understand?" "That's what we have to establish:" "Militant organizations." "Organizations." "I'd like to know what's going on in your head." "I'd really like to know that." "On the one hand, you preach and say you're against every system, against any kind of order and all organizations." "On the other hand, you want to set up militant organizations." "Don't you see there's something wrong in your head?" "Can't you see that?" "Words are wasted on you." "You can't think straight." "You've got a mental block." "You don't know what's important for the proletariat:" "Solidarity." "That's something you don't know." "Hello?" "Anybody there?" "My God, don't scare me like that." "It's not good for my heart." "Oh, I see." "Goes to your heart, does it?" "That too." "Herbert's here." "I see." "May I introduce my friend Willy?" "This is my sweetest friend, Eva." "Hello." "Hello." "Come on in." "The company expresses its thanks and is open to further cooperation." "Who is it, honey?" "It sounds like that awful guy Franz Biberkopf." "You heard correctly, general." "Your ears are still the best-functioning organ you possess." "As an expert, I have to refute that emphatically." "You know best, madam." "Everyone's entitled to an opinion." "Am I right, or am I right?" "Hi, Herbert." "Hi, Franz." "Haven't seen you in a long time." "Well, if you don't keep in touch..." "I was in Breslau for a few days." "I'm too polite to ask what business takes a guy to the provinces." "Let's have a drink." "What brings you to this godforsaken part of town in the middle of the day?" "There was some meeting just around the corner." "Cheers." "Politics these days." "With the present mess, nobody knows what's up." "Exactly that, madam." ""Madam,"" "That's why you have to keep up to date." "Willy may be young, but he's got opinions and ideas we'd never have thought of at his age." "It's true." "Young people are much further today." "They take a greater interest, think more." "Sure." "They've got more time." "Of course they've got more time, they're unemployed." "We have to use our time somehow, and thinking is one of the very few things in the world that doesn't cost anything." "And have you learned anything?" "I have learned something." "I've learned that the existing social order is based on the economic, political and social enslavement of the working people." "It is expressed in property rights, the monopoly of ownership, and in the state, the monopoly of power." "Production today is based not on satisfying natural human needs, but on the prospect of..." "On the prospect of making a profit." "All technological progress increases the wealth of the propertied classes immeasurably, in shameless contrast to the misery of broad sections of the population." "Cheers." "Did you learn that by heart?" "Be honest." "You didn't learn that rubbish by heart?" "Yes, I did." "Even so, the idea's quite simple, really." "Namely, that the state, and that means the police, does more to help and protect the rights of people who already possess a lot anyway." "And the others, those who do the work, don't even think of I don't know, taking action against it all, or..." "Or demanding their rights or whatever." "Cheers." "What you're saying is that there's no order anymore." "That's right." "What hogwash." "It's not possible." "What would become of the world without order?" "In my opinion, it has to be like that." "There have to be people who make sure you can cross the street in peace." "Bravo." "You've learned what you're supposed to think." "But don't kid yourself:" "Most people are made fools of because" "it's somehow not natural for there to be limits." "The earth, or whatever, belongs in the first instance to man." "The forests and everything." "Any limitations are artificial." "That's why you've learned that there has to be some kind of order and people to enforce it." "It's perfectly clear because the world," "you see, everything somehow, the trees, the animals, and everything that grows, all that can function only for those who want to profit from it, when it's somehow..." "When it's somehow all divided up." "When somehow..." "When somehow it's all apportioned." "Then they've got everything better under control and..." "Including the people." "Then they're somehow..." "How should I put it?" "They're more useful." "More useful for those who rule." "Well, I really must be going now." "I'm meeting Mieze." "Ask her to be at the Mocca Fi- at 7, would you?" "I will." "Willy, let's have another one." "I think it's strange." "What do you think is strange?" "That it's possible to talk and think for and against the same thing at the same time." "It's really strange." "Yes, well, that's life." "End of part nine, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin a film in 13 parts with an epilogue" "Ilse, make coffee for two." "Yes, Madam." "Well, Mieze, what do you say now?" "Have you ever seen anything like it?" "You've never seen an apartment like this, have you?" "My God, they're real monkeys." "The guy's so crazy about me, he even set up the room with the monkeys for me." "But why monkeys?" "Herbert's mad about monkeys." "He thinks they're fun." "When he comes here, he plays with them." "What?" "You bring Herbert here?" "Why not?" "What harm can it do?" "After all, the other guy knows Herbert." "He's really jealous of him." "It's a good thing he's jealous." "If he weren't so jealous, he'd have ditched me long ago." "Yeah, I suppose so." "What do you mean, "I suppose so"?" "It's true." "He wants us to have a child." "Just imagine." "He wants me to have his child." "I'd have obliged him, only I don't want one from him." "Not from him." "What about Herbert?" "Wouldn't he like one?" "No idea." "I don't think he can." "I'd like one from Herbert, but somehow it just doesn't work out." "I'd like one from Franz too." "What's the matter, Mieze?" "Are you mad at me?" "Mieze, stop it." "Oh, come here, Eva." "Come here." "I'm not mad at you." "I'm glad you like Franz." "Tell me how much you like Franz." "You'd like a child from Franz?" "My God, then tell him." "Are you crazy?" "What's up with you, Mieze?" "Tell me straight." "Do you want to match me up with Franz?" "What makes you think that?" "I want to keep him." "He's my Franz." "But you're my Eva too." "What am I?" "My Eva." "Hey, Mieze." "Are you a dyke?" "Not at all." "I just happen to like you." "I didn't know for sure before, but when you said just now you'd like to have a baby from Franz," "I suddenly knew for sure." "Yes." "That's when you suddenly became strange." "Strange?" "What do you mean by "strange"?" "It's okay, Mieze." "Forget it." "Come on." "And you'd really like a baby from Franz?" "What's up with you?" "Tell me, Eva, do you want one from him or not?" "No." "I just said it off the top of my head." "That's not true." "You do want one." "You're just saying you don't, but you do want one." "It's so nice that you want a baby from Franz." "It's wonderful." "I'm so happy." "My God, I'm happy." "You are a dyke, aren't you, Mieze?" "No, Eva, I'm not a dyke." "I've never touched a woman." "But you want to touch me." "Yes, but only because I like you so much and because you want a baby from Franz, and..." "And have one you shall, Eva:" "a baby, by my Franz." "Come on, Mieze." "You're crazy." "Oh, don't say no." "You do want one." "Please, please." "You must promise me" "that you'll have a baby by Franz." "Okay, Mieze." "Drink this now." "Maybe one can talk sensibly with you now." "You can always do that." "Anyway, Mieze, how do you like it here?" "What should I say?" "It's lovely, but at the same time, so strange." "Okay, then." "You really do like Franz, don't you?" "Yes." "Come here, baby." "Sit down here with me." "What I mean is, if you really like Franz, then you must take good care of the guy." "He's always running around with that Willy, with that little rogue." "He's no good for Franz." "But he likes Willy." "And what about you?" "Me?" "I like him as well." "If Franz likes him, I like him too." "Because you're blind, you're still too young." "He's not good company for Franz." "And Herbert says the same." "He's a little rogue, Willy is." "He'll get Franz into trouble." "My God, Mieze." "Wasn't it enough for him to lose one arm?" "What do you mean?" "Do you know something?" "Is something up, for heaven's sake?" "Thank you, Ilse." "I'm going shopping now, Madam." "The gentleman will probably be back tonight." "Ilse, buy some flounder for tomorrow, you know how he likes that." "I'll try, Madam." "My God, Eva." "Don't keep me in suspense." "Tell me what's going on." "Tell me." "My God, Mieze." "That's exactly the problem." "I don't know what's going on." "I don't follow Franz around, and neither do you." "Neither of us has time for that." "But where does Franz say he's going?" "He must say something, surely." "No, nothing really." "Just politics, and I don't understand a word." "You see." "He's into politics with communists, anarchists and all those bums, who don't even have pants to cover their ass." "He runs around with people like that." "And you like it?" "That's what you're working for?" "I can't tell Franz where to go." "You can't do that, Eva." "Mieze, I'll tell you one thing:" "If you weren't so young, I'd clobber you right now." "Suddenly you're not allowed to say anything." "Do you want to let Franz go to the dogs again?" "He won't go to the dogs." "I'll take care of that." "Mieze, don't take what I said to heart." "I didn't mean it like that." "But you shouldn't let him run around with that stupid Willy." "You know what a good-natured guy Franz is." "He ought to attend to Pums, and the guy who's to blame for his arm." "Do you understand?" "Yes." "I'll try to watch out." "You know, Mieze," "I don't begrudge you Franz." "But anyone else, I would." "Near Abrudpanta, the bandit horde" "Roamed around, wild and free" "Guito, though, their leader brave" "A good and noble man was he" "Guito, though, their leader brave" "A good and noble man was he" "Both know it's just a market song, where the music drones on." "But still they have to weep when it's over." "For sometimes life's too short for the eternity of feelings." "And I still say anyone in his right mind must believe in Nietzsche:" "Do whatever gives you pleasure." "Do you understand?" "Nietzsche." "Anything else is drivel, old boy." "My wife's sick." "She can't have me at home in the evening." "She needs her peace." "You get used to going to bars if you've got a sick wife at home." "Put her in the hospital." "Keeping a sick wife at home is not right either." "She's been in the hospital, but I took her out again." "She didn't like the food." "Things didn't get better, though." "Is your wife very sick?" "Her uterus has become joined with her rectum or something." "They operated on her, but it didn't help internally." "Now the doctor says it's just nerves." "It's more or less her imagination." "But she's in such pain and bawls all day." "Can you believe it?" "Soon he'll take her off the sick list." "Just you wait." "Because anyone with sick nerves is healthy." "You're not getting political again, are you, Eddie?" "Let's not talk about it, not even think about it." "Politics won't get us anywhere, just the others." "I just want to live." "Do you understand?" "I just want to live." "Four more Kümmels, Maxie, and a beer for him too." "Coming up." "I don't give a hoot for your Marxism:" "Lenin and Stalin and that lot." "Whether I can get a loan and for how long, and how much." "That's what's important in this world." "You make it sound all very simple, Max, but things aren't as simple as that." "I don't need Marxism either, or anything else like that." "What I do need I can count on my fingers every day." "When someone beats the hell out of me," "I know what it means." "Or if I've got work today, but I'm out on my ear tomorrow, because there are no more orders." "The foreman stays and the boss too, of course, but I'm out on the street and have to go on welfare." "And if I've got kids, and the oldest one is bowlegged from rickets," "I can't send her away somewhere." "Maybe the school will send her to the country, but only maybe." "The worst thing is the kids learn only as much as we did." "Just imagine:" "only as much as we did." "They don't teach them anything we didn't learn." "How can anything ever change?" "Cheers." "Cheers." "Cheers." "And if I have to go to the doctor with rheumatism, there are 30 of us sitting in the waiting room." "Then the doctor says to me:" ""You've had rheumatism before?"" "And "How long have you been working?"" ""Or have you been fired?"" "He just doesn't believe me." "So then" "I'm sent to a medical examiner." "If you want to be sent somewhere by the state insurance, they always dock your wages for it." "I'm telling you." "You'd have to carry your head under your arm before they'd send you free." "No, Max, it's not as simple as you think." "The whole thing's not that simple." "Nobody needs Karl Marx to figure that out." "But, Max, that's the truth." "Come on." "Let's drink up." "Cheers." "Well, one thing I must say." "There are a lot of bowlegged people in this world, and they don't have money to go to the country either." "If you ask me, it's not so tragic to have bowlegs." "No one said it was tragic." "I was just talking about bowlegs and a girl who has them, and saying she's a poor thing, and that she can't get sent to the country." "And anyway, with rich kids it doesn't happen so often anyway, having bowlegs." "There have always been rich and poor people." "Sure, there have, but poverty should be for those who want it." "Let the others be poor, for all I care." "Just count me out." "In the end, you can't stand it anymore, when it's always the same people who are poor." "Here, Maxie." "Thank you." "Hey, Franz." "What's up?" "We were going to..." "Forget it, Willy." "I want to hit the sack early, because of yesterday." "He still doesn't believe me." "I have to go to a medical examiner." "If I want the insurance to send me somewhere, they always dock money for it." "You'd have to carry your head under your arm before they'd send you somewhere." "Child molester scandal!" "Czech Jew abuses 20 boys!" "No arrest made." "Child molester scandal." "Czech Jew abuses 20 boys." "No arrest made." "Her uterus has become joined with her rectum." "They operated on her, but it didn't help internally." "Child molester scandal." "Czech Jew abuses 20 boys." "No arrest made." "Child molester scandal." "Czech Jew abuses 20 boys." "No arrest made." "Scandal." "Child molester scandal." "Czech Jew abuses 20 boys." "No arrest made." "What's up?" "Something bothering you?" "Why do you ask?" "You're acting so strange, walking around me." "Out with it if you've got a problem." "Nothing really." "It's just that" "I used to sell newspapers myself." "So what?" "That's what I said." "It's nothing really." "Scandal!" "Child molester scandal!" "And the kids learn exactly the same as we did." "You can imagine what comes of that." "And with a nervous illness, you're perfectly fit." "Anyone with a nervous illness is perfectly healthy." "Czech Jew exposed as child molester!" "No arrest made!" "And nobody needs Karl Marx for that anymore." "But it's true nevertheless." "Taxi!" "Child molester scandal!" "What does a bowlegged person do in the country?" "Czech Jew exposed as child molester!" "What do I care about politics and all that crap?" "It's no help to me." "Take me to Tegel." "Czech Jew exposed as child molester!" "No arrest made!" "Czech Jew exposed as child molester!" "No arrest made!" "Hey." "Hey, you." "Wake up." "You can't sleep here at night." "It's not allowed." "Do you understand?" "It's against the law." "Against the law." "I understand, inspector." "I'm not an inspector, just a simple police officer, and proud of it too." "Proud, do you understand?" "Got it." "What are you doing here anyway?" "Why are you sleeping at night on this bench?" "Haven't you got a home?" "Sure I've got a home." "I was just visiting here." "Who did you want to visit?" "That's obvious, isn't it?" "I wanted to visit Tegel, my prison, where I spent four years of my life." "That's what I wanted to visit." "Then suddenly I felt tired, and I fell asleep." "Just look at it." "How it stands there, that prison." "Isn't it a heartwarming sight?" "You're not right in the head." "No man in his right mind would visit a prison and then lie down and fall asleep." "I'm tired, want to hit the sack." "I want to hit the sack." "I told you:" "You can't sleep here." "If you go on like this, you'll be back in there faster than you think." "Where do you live?" "Achim-von-Arnim-Strasse number 32." "And how are you going to get back there?" "How do I get back there?" "It's too late for the bus." "You'll have to walk." "Yes, I guess I'll have to walk." "Taxi!" "Taxi!" "Got it?" "What's that?" "You have to do your job like everyone, inspector." "Got it?" "Got it." "Achim-von-Arnim-Strasse." "Got you." "Criminal!" "Freedom and golden flowers in his mouth, which he hasn't washed because his tongue is paralyzed by a green tomato." "The meaning of a new hairstyle has to do with freedom of life..." "It's starting all over again, the drinking." "And he'd stopped." "It doesn't happen that often, Mrs. Bast." "Maybe he'll stop again soon." "That's what I thought back then, that it'd stop." "Then it happened with Ida." "That was something quite different with Ida." "And death, death is freedom and death is in order." "And order is in order." "Order is organized." "And freedom is death and is order." "And order is no freedom..." "And the green flowers don't bloom..." "Did you drag him up here like that?" "What should I have done?" "You should have rung the bell." "Ida always did." "He's not moving anymore." "Let him sleep." "He's often slept in the armchair." "He's used to that." "Franz, listen to me." "Wake up." "Come to bed." "You'll be more comfortable, Franz." "Save yourself the trouble, Miss Mieze." "It's no use now." "One thing you should know, though:" "In that state, he snores louder than ever." "I don't mind." "On the contrary," "I quite like it when he snores." "Well, that's love for you." "Good night, anyway." "Franz." "My dear, dear, Franz, can't you hear me?" "Can't you hear me anymore?" "Franz." "A newspaper has a lot of letters, and the letters are black." "A car is black, and the trees are red." "Blood is red." "But freedom is not order." "Order is black, black, like the car." "And black, like the car, are the letters in my newspaper." "My God, Mieze!" "Lay into me, will you?" "Just say something." "I can't stand it when you don't say anything." "What have I done to you?" "Is it because I was so late last night?" "Tell me, Mieze, is it because I came home so late last night?" "No, Franz." "It's because you're making yourself unhappy." "How am I making myself unhappy?" "You get involved with people who are no good for you." "You mean..." "You mean Willy?" "For example." "My God, look me in the face again." "Mieze." "Franz, don't get involved in politics." "I'm not involved in politics." "Will you stop going to those meetings?" "If you don't want me to, okay." "Do you promise?" "Hey!" "That's enough." "When I say something, I stick to it." "And anyway, you're quite right." "I'm doing just fine." "What do I care?" "What do I care about politics?" "If people are dumb enough to let themselves be exploited, it's not my fault." "Why...?" "Why should I worry about other people?" "Thank you, thank you, thank you." "I never realized it was so important to you." "Politics, the meetings, and all that." "I just didn't say anything." "But everything's okay now." "What's the matter now?" "You're standing there again." "I thought we could have breakfast quietly together, but you're standing there making a face again." "Loneliness Tears Cracks of Madness Even in Walls" "Franz?" "Yes?" "I couldn't tell you before." "What are you talking about?" "I wanted to be quite sure." "Well, now, you've started." "Just keep going." "It's nothing bad, Franz." "It's just that" "I've met a guy." "You've done what?" "And he wants something more permanent, like Eva's guy." "And he's almost as rich as Eva's guy." "He's married, which is actually an advantage." "You understand?" "Something more permanent." "And he's got money." "He's rich, and he's married." "And you're pussyfooting like that?" "There's something behind it." "There's something behind it." "No, Franz, there's really nothing behind it." "It's just that it was the first time, and I didn't know how to tell you." "Then he said he'd rent a little apartment for me, and I wanted to wait and see if he really would." "Well, now he has." "So I thought I have to tell you, and..." "No, Franz, that's all." "There's nothing else." "Franz!" "Oh, Franz, please, please, believe me." "There's nothing, nothing else behind it." "Look me in the eyes, Franz." "There's really nothing else behind it?" "My God." "You..." "You sure can scare a guy." "It's because you never believe me." "That's because you're a woman, I guess." "What's up now?" "Why are you in such a hurry?" "Got something planned?" "Nothing really." "I just have to take a look at the apartment." "I haven't seen it yet." "And, besides..." "Yes?" "What "besides"?" "Besides, Eva's coming at 11." "So what?" "I should have told you about it earlier." "About what, Mieze?" "What else is there?" "It's just that..." "I've made an arrangement with Eva." "I've agreed with Eva that she can have your baby." "We discussed it, Eva and I." "I was really happy." "It really took some persuasion." "I had to beg her." "And then..." "Then she agreed." "I knew it." "I knew there was something behind it." "You want to get rid of me." "No!" "I don't want to get rid of you." "I could see there was something behind it." "I could see there was something up..." "An animal being led to slaughter, that's what I am." "And only one arm." "Worse than an animal for slaughter." "You can imagine what a sow would do when it's led into the pen." "A sow's better off than a man." "It's just a lump of meat and a lump of fat." "Not much can happen to it, as long as there's enough swill." "At most, it can have another litter." "At the end of its life, there's the knife, which is nothing very exciting." "Before the creature knows what's happening" "And what does it know?" "It's dead." "Whereas a man, a man's got ears." "There's more to him." "Everything's all mixed up." "A man can think a hell of a lot." "He has to think," "because he's got this terrible head." "Stop it!" "Don't talk like that." "And he always thinks about..." "Stop it!" "what's going to happen." "What do you mean, "stop it"?" "Why shouldn't I talk like that?" "Hey!" "I asked you what you mean." "I ask you what you mean." "I mean, quite simply, that what you said is not true." "I don't want to get rid of you." "On the contrary," "I love you." "And I believe" "I'll always love you." "But I've been to physicians, once in Bernau and twice more in Berlin." "All three said the same thing:" "That I can never have a baby, never." "And when Eva said she wanted to have one, but it's not possible with Herbert." "And she doesn't want one by that old guy, only from you, oh, Franz, I was so happy" "I wept tears of joy." "Because then I'd have one too." "That's why all the things you said are just not true." "Come in." "Miss Eva is here, Mr. Biberkopf." "Why don't you show her in?" "Well, since you ask, things were a little loud a moment ago..." "It's all right, Mrs. Bast." "So she's told you?" "Why are you laughing?" "Because of the situation." "We've been together so often, but it was never like this." "Do you want to?" "Unbutton me at the back." "I can't manage it alone." "And even though Sonia and Eva knew it was just a common song from the weekly market, they both had to cry when they had finished singing it." "Hurry up." "He's honking like mad." "Okay." "I'm ready." "Come on." "Let me get past." "Okay, okay, I'm coming." "Eva!" "How are things?" "Not too bad." "Life drags on, day by day." "Something comes along today, and you miss it." "Something else tomorrow, and you forget about it." "Something's always happening to you." "Life takes care of things." "Herbert, pull over there by Dorfmann, please." "I ordered a slip." "I could pick it up now." "You really know how to bug a guy." "A slip." "A slip is a normal, personal thing." "Excuse me." "Like a drop?" "No, thanks." "You shouldn't booze so much either." "I'm not hearing right." "What was that?" "Look, what have you ever been?" "A newspaper vendor." "And where are you now?" "You've lost an arm, but you've got Mieze." "She provides for you." "You don't have to start boozing again." "There's no question of that." "When I drink, it's out of boredom." "You sit there, and what do you do?" "You have a drink." "And then you have another and another." "Anyway, I can handle it." "That's what you say:" "You can handle it." "Look at yourself in the mirror." "Look at your eyes." "What's wrong with my eyes?" "Bags under them like an old man." "You're making yourself old with drink." "Drinking makes you old." "Okay, cut it out." "Let's drop the subject." "What do you mean "drop the subject"?" "You stop drinking." "Why shouldn't I drink, Herbert?" "What do you all want from me?" "I can't do anything." "Nothing." "I'm a 100 percent invalid, but everyone finds fault with me." "One says: "Don't drink," Another says: "Don't go with Willy,"" "And another says: "No politics,"" "Well, politics:" "If you can't do without it, it's not as bad as drinking." "Herbert, look at me." "I'm a cripple." "I'm no good for anything." "Hey." "Don't overdo it." "Tell that to Eva or Mieze." "Oh, for bed." "I'm okay." "I know." "But otherwise..." "Look, Herbert, you're somebody." "You do something." "You and the boys." "And you?" "If you really want to, even with one arm, you can do business." "Don't give me that." "Mieze didn't want me to." "She got round me and cut me down to size." "Then make a new start." "So now I should make a new start." "Stop, start." "Like a little dog." "Up on the table." "Down from the table." "Up, down." "I'm a cripple, Herbert." "Look at my sleeve." "There's nothing in it." "Do you know how my shoulder hurts at night?" "I can't sleep." "Then go to the doctor." "I don't want to." "I just don't want to hear about doctors." "Then ask Mieze to go away with you, out of Berlin." "Get a change of air." "No, no." "I'd rather booze it up, Herbert." "And end up doing the same to Mieze as you did to Ida?" "What?" "Weren't those four years enough for you?" "Hey, hold it a moment." "You're out of your mind." "I'm out of my mind." "Boy, that wasn't easy." "First they can't find it, then they say they haven't ordered it, and then they find it after all." "Say, is something up with you two?" "Herbert said I shouldn't booze so much." "You really said that?" "Yes, I really said that." "Why shouldn't he drink?" "Do you want the same to happen as before?" "You're crazy!" "Shut up!" "For God's sake stop it and drive me home." "Is she here?" "Just arrived home." "Mieze?" "Mieze?" "What's up?" "Mieze, my one and only." "Just tell me one thing:" "Whether I may booze." "Sure you may, but not too much." "But I may booze?" "Sure you may, but not too much, because it's unhealthy, okay?" "And wouldn't you like to get sloshed once too?" "With you." "Mieze, you want to get sloshed with me?" "But you've never been sloshed, have you?" "Sure I have." "You have?" "Come on, Franz." "Let's get sloshed." "Right now." "And there beside her stands Franz." "Such a dear girl, such a good girl." "She seems so small beside him." "He could stick her in his pocket." "She hugs him." "He holds her around the hips with his left arm." "And then..." "Then Franz is absent, just for a second." "His arm around her hips is stiff." "In his mind, his arm should make a movement." "His face is as hard as stone." "In his thoughts he was holding a small wooden instrument, and he struck Mieze a blow with it from above, hit her in the chest, once, twice, and smashed her ribs." "Hospital, cemetery, Tegel Prison." "They said" "I shouldn't drink so much." "I should steer clear of politics, the man said." "Mieze." "That's good." "Oh, Franz." "Mieze, Mieze." "Franz, Franz..." "Excuse me, I..." "There's a gentleman here for you, Miss Mieze, a Mr. Freimut." "Shall I show him in?" "Who is it?" "It's him." "Who?" "The guy with the apartment." "I'd forgotten all about him." "Oh, I see..." "Come on." "Get up, Franz." "Mrs. Bast, send him in, please." "May I come in?" "Yes, come on in." "Thanks very much." "I was waiting the whole time." "And then I thought, maybe..." "I was about to come down anyway." "Well then, this is Franz." "He's my husband." "And Franz, this is George." "Hello." "Hello, Mr. Biberkopf." "Excuse me, but I'm afraid I must give you my left hand." "The right one's no longer with us." "Yes." "A terrible war." "Yes." "A terrible war." "What a charming person your wife is." "Yes," "I know." "Yes, of course you do." "Well..." "I must say, for me, perhaps the most delightful thing about a woman is when she gets dressed." "When she gets dressed?" "Yes, I know it sounds strange, but a woman makes such beautiful movements when she gets dressed." "More beautiful than when she undresses." "Don't you think so?" "Well, yes, if you look at it that way." "Oh, of course." "Only if you look at it that way." "You want to go out with Mieze?" "Yes, of course." "Didn't she tell you?" "For two or three days..." "No, no, she didn't tell me anything about it." "I didn't have a chance to tell you." "Excuse us a moment." "Of course." "Should I go outside?" "No, that's really not necessary." "Take a seat." "Thank you." "If that's how things are, what do I have from you?" "What should I do?" "What's the matter, Franz?" "Nothing." "Beat it." "Franz, why are you crying?" "Beat it!" "Franz, don't shout like that, please." "And stop crying." "Beat it, I said." "My shoulder hurts so badly." "Why does my shoulder hurt so badly?" "They hacked off my arm." "Simply cut it off." "Gone." "Those goddamned bastards." "My arm's gone, and they did it." "They did it." "They just left me lying there, and now it hurts." "They could have torn off my whole shoulder." "Then it wouldn't hurt me now." "But they didn't do me in." "They didn't manage that." "They didn't have any luck with me." "But like this, it's no good either." "Now I can lie here, and there'll be no one around." "No one to hear me if I shout, if my shoulder hurts and my arm." "They should have finished me off right away." "What am I now?" "Only half a man." "I can't stand it anymore." "I'm finished." "What am I going to do?" "What the hell am I going to do?" "Let's go." "It's my job, Franz." "I have to do it." "I have to." "Mieze..." "Mieze..." "Mieze!" "The serpent in the soul of the serpent" "End of part 10, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin a film in 13 parts with an epilogue" "Who's there?" "It's me." "What do you want?" "I want to come in." "I don't understand why you take so long to consider" "Whether to let me in or not." "I wasn't considering." "Then you took a long time not considering." "Cheers." "It's good to be here at your place." "Well, then..." "Franz, you know what we've got to settle with each other." "Tell me straight out what you want from me." "Out with it." "What do I have to settle with you?" "That business with the automobile." "There's no point in that." "It won't make my arm grow back again." "No, it's okay." "Things couldn't have gone on like that forever." "Something had to happen." "You mean with street trading?" "Yeah, that too." "I must have been cuckoo." "I had a cuckoo sitting there in my head, but it's gone now." "And your arm is gone too." "I've still got another one." "The left one." "And I've still got my head and two legs." "And what are you up to otherwise?" "What should a guy be up to with one arm?" "There's not much you can do." "But just being a pimp, isn't that a little..." "...tedious?" "what do you mean "tedious"?" "I get around." "I live, and look at things and look again and hear things." "And my girl, Mieze, who used to be called Sonia, she earns good money." "She's a good girl, and I love her." "I can't complain." "And even if the worms eat dirt and let it out behind them, they always eat it up again," "The little devils show no mercy, If you stuff their bellies full today, tomorrow they have to start all over again," "Now I remember it." "What?" "I couldn't think of it." "A song." "What song?" "When the soldiers come marching Through the city side by side" "All the girls throw their doors And casements open wide" "XI." "Knowledge is Power and the Early Bird Catches the worm" "I'm going dancing tonight." "Is your Mieze going with you?" "No." "She's away with her benefactor for two or three days." "But when she gets back, we'll go with you." "She'll enjoy that." "You think so?" "If I say she'll enjoy it, she'll enjoy it." "And besides, she won't bite you." "Say..." "And while he's dancing with Eva, inwardly he loves two people." "One is his Mieze, whom he wishes could be there." "The other is" " Reinhold." "I told him straight out that he's crazy." "It's obvious." "A guy with one arm who wants to throw his lot in with us." "It's obvious he's crazy." "And what did he say then?" "What did he say?" "He just laughed and grinned." "I thought I wasn't hearing right." ""what, with one arm?" I say." ""why not?" he grins." "The other one's strong enough." "He can lift with it and shoot." "He can even climb, he says, if necessary." "And did you check it out?" "Is it true?" "Do we really want a guy like that?" "With one arm?" "Do you, Pums?" "We have no use for him in our work." "Well, I have to go get the rope ladder." "Get a strong one, Pums." "And not from Berlin. we agreed on that." "On no account from Berlin." "I know that myself, Reinhold." "Meck." "Bruno." "Yes, Pums?" "We've discussed the gas cylinder." "Get it in Leipzig or Hamburg." "Whatever you do, not in Berlin." "Yeah, I know, boss." "Do you know how?" "Leave it to me." "Okay, I'm counting on you." "Oh, yes, there's one other thing." "Franz was at Reinhold's and said he'd like to join us again." "Personally, I think he'd just be a burden for us." "But we don't have to worry about that." "Reinhold will sort that out with him." "I throw him out of the car, and he comes back again." "Suddenly the guy's standing there, grinning." "Insists on joining in again." "Do what you want with him." "Maybe he wants to squeal on us." "What do you say, Meck?" "You know him best from the old days." "No." "I can guarantee he'd never squeal on anyone" "as long as he lives." "But maybe, in a dark corner, he'd shoot one of us down." "That's right." "Maybe, Who knows what goes on in the head of a guy like that," "Maybe Franz wants to get his arm back from Reinhold," "Maybe he thinks" "I'm afraid of him." "After all, he's not short of money." "That guy can't kid me." "Who knows, maybe he feels he's got to atone for some sins." "That's right." "Maybe I'll have to take him to The Salvation Army, and he'll have to sit on the sinners' bench." "He'll sit up there at the front, praying," "and I'll be watching." "And why shouldn't Franz Biberkopf sit on the sinners' bench?" "Isn't it a place where he belongs?" "Who says it's not?" "What can anyone say against The Salvation Army?" "And who is Reinhold, of all people, to get uppity about The Salvation Army?" "A guy who once -- What do I mean once?" "Who ran at least five times to Dresdenerstrasse himself," "And what a state he was in," "And they helped him," "His tongue was hanging out, but they fixed him up, not to become such a scoundrel, of course," "Hallelujah," "Hallelujah, Franz has experienced it all:" "the song, the call," "The knife was at his throat," "Franz, hallelujah," "He holds up his throat," "He wants to look for his life, his blood," "My blood, my inner self, so it comes forth at last," "It had a long journey before it came," "God, was it hard," "There it is," "I've got you," "Why didn 't I want to sit on the sinners' bench?" "If only I'd come sooner," "Never mind, I'm here now, I've made it," "Why shouldn't Franz sit on the sinners' bench?" "When will salvation come?" "When he throws himself down in the face of his terrible death and opens his mouth and sings with many others?" "Come in." "There's a man who wants to speak to you." "What's his name?" "He didn't say, but he's got blond hair." "Blond hair." "Hello, Bruno." "Hi, Franz." "what do you want?" "Pums sent me." "About what?" "Pums gave me a bit of money for you, but he also said you don't have to take it." "No, no, that's okay, Bruno." "One can always use money." "Here." "Thanks." "Then I'll beat it." "Okay?" "Okay." "Bye." "Goodbye." "Well, Mieze?" "What's up, Franz?" "Nothing." "I'm just happy." "Franz?" "It's nothing really." "I'm happy about you." "When you think about it, everything in life's so funny." "For me, it's all quite different from other people." "They have it good." "They run around and earn money and set themselves up nicely." "I can't do that." "I have to look at this getup, my jacket," "the sleeve." "I..." "I've lost an arm." "That's how things are, and I can't change them." "No one can change them." "But when you carry something like this around with you, and then..." "It's like an open sore, and then..." "But I'm here for you." "That's why I'm so happy, Mieze." "Look," "I earned these two smackers, and I'm giving them to you." "You earned them?" "Yeah." "I have to work." "Otherwise I'm nothing." "Otherwise I'm finished." "You want to give them to me?" "But, Mieze, don't say a word to anyone." "It was with Pums and Reinhold." "Saturday night." "You want to give them to me?" "Sure." "Who else?" "But why do you want to give me money?" "Don't you want any?" "Oh, Mieze." "Come on." "I was so happy about it." "We can both go away with this money." "Yes, that's true," "Franz." "What's the matter, then?" "Don't you want to go away with me?" "Sure." "Come on, then." "Such a sweet little head." "Tiny noggin." "Come on." "Why are you crying?" "Do you want to get rid of me, Franz?" "For God's sake." "You don't want to?" "No, for God's sake." "Then why do you go working?" "Don't I earn enough?" "I do earn enough, Franz." "Am I supposed to do nothing?" "I didn't say that, but not for money." "I don't want it." "I don't want it." "Please, please." "Franz." "I don't want it." "And I'm supposed to do nothing?" "Don't run away!" "." "Give the money away." "Give it to poor people." "And then, Franz, you must promise me you'll never do it again." "It's not because of the money, Mieze." "Hold on, Mieze, let me tell Herbert." "Just imagine, Franz brought Mieze 200 marks." "You know where he got it?" "From Pums?" "Yes." "He told her that himself." "And did he say where?" "Mieze, did he say where it was?" "No, he didn't." "Would you believe it?" "Now he's dealing directly with them." "Can you understand it?" "He wants to nail one of them." "He's trying to get on their good side." "Just wait until he's in with them." "Bang." "Nobody will know what's happened." "You really think so?" "Mieze..." "Mieze asks what she should do now." "Let him carry on." "You think he's after the money?" "It's like I said, he means business." "we're in for a surprise." "Hello, Mieze..." "Is somebody there?" "Hello." "Are you Miss Mieze," "Franz's girlfriend?" "Franz Biberkopf's?" "Yes," "I'm Mieze," "Franz's girlfriend." "Why do you stand up there?" "Come nearer." "why?" "I'd like to talk with you." "I'm a friend of your Franz." "No need to be afraid." "I'm..." "Reinhold, Miss Mieze." "Take a good look at him, Mieze," "Study his face," "It's a face, Mieze, that's more important to you than any other face in the world," "More important than Eva's, more important even than that of your beloved Franz," "Did Franz send you to find something out from me?" "Or..." "On the contrary." "Franz shouldn't find out that I've met you." "He's very sensitive." "The thing is," "I wanted to talk with you." "It's very difficult with Franz with his injured arm." "What I wanted to know was whether he really needs to work." "Everybody would like to know that." "No." "As far as earning money's concerned, he doesn't really need to." "He's got people who help him," "but maybe that's not enough for him." "A man wants to work, after all." "Sure, and so he should." "But it's a bit difficult because what we do is no ordinary work." "Not even a guy with two healthy arms is always capable." "Boy, you sure do have strong hands." "Yeah, that surprises a lot of people." "You almost suffocated me." "Don't worry." "I'm careful with things like that." "I hope so too." "Say, don't you know me, miss?" "Hasn't Franz ever told you anything about me?" "We know each other, Franz and I." "We knew each other before he ever had you." "There we were," "Cilly and..." "I know Cilly." "Why shouldn't he have had someone else?" "I also had another guy earlier." "But now he belongs to me, my Franz." "Sure, he belongs to you." "You don't think I want to take him away from you, do you?" "I can resist that." "But there were some strange things between him and me." "He really didn't tell you about them?" "Strange things?" "What, for example?" "Just strange things." "I'll be frank with you." "If Franz is in our outfit, it's only because of me and those things from the past." "We two always stuck together whenever possible." "The thing is, we used to swap broads," "Franz and me." "What do you say to that?" "Tell it to your grandmother." "Swapping broads." "There's nothing to laugh about, Miss Mieze." "Ask your Franz." "They must have been wonderful broads." "Fifty-pfennig ones from a flophouse?" "No, not broads like that." "Do we look like that?" "Just tell me one thing, why are you giving me all this bullshit?" "What's behind it all?" "What are you up to?" "Oh, I beg you, miss." "What should I be up to?" "I just wanted a little information." "By the way, Pums" "You've heard of him, I'm sure." "he gave me personal instructions." "Oh, my goodness." "Excuse me, I really must be going." "Of course." "Maybe you'd like to visit our outfit sometime." "Not if you tell stories like that." "Sorry, miss." "I thought you knew it all." "By the way, it might be better if you didn't tell Franz we've seen each other." "I shouldn't say anything?" "Better not." "But if you want to, there's nothing we can do." "That's up to you." "Well, goodbye, then." "You have to go." "Yes." "What did he want?" "What could he have wanted?" "You're dead." "Why don't you fall down?" "Because you didn't explain the rules." "Whereupon Napoleon said," ""Forward, forward, without let, It's dry above, below it's wet," "When it's dried out below, we'll conquer Milan for a medal or so," "Tralee, trala, tralee, tralair!" "We're advancing, Soon be there, Oh, the joys of being a soldier, "" "Hello, Meck." "Hello, Max." "Hello, Reinhold." "Let me have a coffee and a small cognac." "Things are not what they were between you and Franz." "No." "Not since the accident." "It seems I'm the one he can't forgive." "He's forgiven Reinhold, hasn't he?" "Seems so." "And do you know why?" "No." "Nobody does." "What's the name of that woman of yours?" "Mieze." "I told you that already." "She used to be called Sonia." "Right." "But you don't want to show her to us." "She's too refined for us, is she?" "I don't have a menagerie to show around." "She's got her benefactor." "She earns good money." "But you never show her to us." "The girl's busy." "You could bring her along once." "She's supposed to be quite pretty," "or so I've heard." "Sure she is." "Give me a hand." "Would you like to see how fond of me she is?" "I tell you, she's all heart, and just for me, Reinhold." "All that girl knows is love and affection, and nothing else." "Shall I tell you how crazy she is about me?" "You just can't imagine it." "You know Eva, don't you?" "Sure." "Of course, well, now it turns out that Mieze wants her..." "No." "No, I can't tell you." "Come on." "You can't start something and then stop in the middle." "That's the meanest thing there is." "Come on." "Out with it." "No, I can't." "You can't imagine it." "You've never heard anything like it." "It's never happened to me before." "Just tell me what's up with Mieze and this Eva." "All right." "But keep your mouth shut, okay?" "She wants" "Mieze, that is, wants Eva to have a baby by me." "A kid." "That's how much Mieze loves me." "She can't have one herself for physical reasons." "Mieze is as true and sweet as gold." "You wouldn't believe it." "Yes, that's how she is." "That's a gift from Mieze." "Oh, yes?" "Yes. when someone gives me a bird like that, then I know she loves me." "She should be here any minute." "Listen." "This is what we'll do." "It's kind of funny." "A real circus." "Just don't move, okay?" "I wouldn't dream of it." "The best thing is to lie in bed here." "I'll make sure she keeps away." "Then you can watch, okay?" "Come on." "Lie down here." "Give it a try." "Can you see anything?" "Yes." "It's okay." "My God." "We're asking for things to go wrong." "Why?" "Are you afraid?" "I'm not even afraid if she notices something." "No, but I'd rather she didn't notice anything." "Look out." "She's coming." "Mieze?" "Come on in, baby." "Come in." "Oh, the bed..." "Just leave it as it is." "There's a surprise for you." "I must have a look." "No!" "Stop." "First swear, Mieze." "Swear." "My God, you must hold up your hand." "Repeat after me, "I swear..." "I swear that I won't go near the bed that I won't go near the bed until I say so."" "...until I go there." "You stay here." "Now swear again." ""I swear..."" "I swear I won't go to the bed..." "Until I lay you down in it." "I won't go over there, Franz." "It's all right." "What's the matter, Mieze?" "My little pussy cat, what's up?" "Franz, can I tell you something?" "Sure you can." "Something happened at my old guy's place." "What happened?" "I had a date with him today." "I went over there and rang the bell, but he wasn't there." "Only his nephew was there." "He was supposed to tell me that his uncle would be back tomorrow." "Well, then..." "What's up?" "Nothing, Franz." "You needn't worry." "And don't do anything to me." "It's really nothing." "Only..." "Only?" "The way he stood there..." "I just had to." "I have to..." "I have to..." "Sure you do." "Yes, I have to." "What should I do?" "He's such a young guy and..." "Why are you crying, Mieze?" "Do you love the guy?" "Are you in love with him?" "Yes." "What do you want with me?" "Let me go!" "I'm here, Franz." "I didn't run away." "I'm here." "Run away!" "I don't want you." "Don't shout!" "what have I done?" "Go to the guy if you love him, you bitch." "I'm not a bitch, Franz." "Be reasonable." "I told him it's not possible." "I told him I belong to you." "But I don't want a woman like you." "But I belong to you, Franz, and I told him so." "Then I ran away, and you should console me." "You must be crazy!" "You love him, and I should console you?" "Yes, you should." "I'm your Mieze, and you love me." "And so..." "Mieze, beat it!" "Beat it!" "Get out of here!" "Go to him, and let him console you." "Just get out of here!" "No!" "Get out!" "No." "That would mean you didn't love me, that you didn't like me anymore." "What have I done?" "I'll wring your neck!" "Franz, please." "Please, not a stick!" "That's enough." "Not with a stick, please, Franz." "Okay." "And now out with you, Reinhold." "Get out!" "Here, take a look at her." "Take a good look at her, and then get out." "Out with you." "Come on." "What's up now?" "What's got into you?" "Why are you screaming like that?" "Shut your trap!" "Shut up!" "You're screaming the whole house down." "Shut up!" "I'll kill her." "I'll kill her." "I'll kill her." "I'll kill her." "I'll kill her." "I'll kill her." "You're suffocating her, for God's sake." "Get out, you bastard." "I said, get out, you bastard!" "Get up." "Get up." "Just look at the bitch." "Who's the bitch trying to hit?" "Go downstairs and don't come back till you've recovered." "Get out!" "You'll beat her to death." "Franz." "I'm coming with you." "No, my girl." "You're staying here." "I'll help you in a minute." "Okay." "Get out." "Franz." "Dear, dear Franz." "Wait, I'm coming with you." "You stay here." "Get out." "Get out." "Get out." "Get out!" "Get out!" "I'll help you, Miss Mieze." "I'll bring something." "I'll help you." "It was the same as with Ida." "I was scared to death." "Thank God that man was here." "What man?" "I don't know his name." "What guy was it, Mieze?" "That Reinhold." "Believe me, he saved her life." "It was the same as with lda." "They were screaming." "Mieze here, and Franz too." "It was sheer hell." "What was Reinhold doing here?" "What does he want here?" "Mieze, you've got to help me." "We can't leave things like this." "Something has to be done." "Why was he here?" "That's something" "I didn't understand either." "He was lying in bed there, hidden under the covers." "Can you understand it?" "Why would he hide a guy in the bed?" "It's funny, isn't it?" "No," "I don't think it's funny." "There's something behind it, Mieze, something bad." "Promise me you'll try to find out what it is." "Somehow you must find it out, Mieze." "And don't just say you will." "I'm so afraid that something terrible will happen again." "He's already lost an arm, and now he runs back to the guys who were to blame for it." "No one knows what really happened." "You must promise me that, Mieze, you must try to do something because Reinhold is one of them." "And Franz brings him here, he hides him in his bed, and something like this happens." "Don't worry about your eye." "It's not too bad." "In a couple of days, it'll be gone." "Okay." "Now hurry up, baby." "Go downstairs." "Franz is waiting there." "You must go with him." "He'll never get over it if you don't forgive him." "Franz." "My dear, dear Franz." "I'm so ashamed, Mieze." "No need to be ashamed, Franz." "Really not." "Look, I love you, and you love me." "How about driving out somewhere where we can be alone?" "Yes, Franz." "Come on, then." "Let's get away from here right now." "I almost killed you, Mieze." "I really hurt you." "I almost killed you." "It's okay, Franz." "You're here with me again." "That's the main thing." "Nothing else matters." "But I'm so ashamed." "The way it happened, I was so mad." "I couldn't help it, yet I was so ashamed." "You mustn't worry." "Everything's okay again." "Why is she staring?" "Do you know her?" "Why do you ask?" "Because she's staring." "Why shouldn't she stare?" "That's what her eyes are for." "Come on." "What happened to you?" "Mieze, you don't even ask why Reinhold was lying in my bed." "No." "Don't you want to know?" "No, because it's not true." "What's not true?" "That you want to sell me to him." "What do you mean?" "What I said." "I don't want to know, because now I know something else." "Namely, that you don't want to sell me to him." "I know that now, and that's the most important thing." "My God, Mieze." "Where did you get that idea from?" "It doesn't matter." "I know it's not true, and that's the most important thing." "What can I bring you?" "I'd like a big ice-cream sundae with fruit and lots of cream, and a fruit tart, also with lots of cream." "And for you?" "A beer with a dash." "Reinhold, you see, is my friend, but he's a swine with girls." "He's simply a swine." "That's why I wanted to show him what a decent girl is like." "I wanted to show him a decent girl." "He should see one for once." "It's okay." "Do you still love me, or only that other guy, your client's nephew?" "I'm yours, Franz." "I belong to you, you alone." "Is she thinking, when she sits there idly, and what is she thinking?" "When he asks her, she says she's not thinking of anything." "You can't think about things all day." "Here it is." "It's what I was looking for." "What?" "The place where we played Blind Man's Buff, where you fell and cut yourself." "Yes, I was bleeding, but it was no one's fault." "It was fate." "This time, though, you were bleeding and I was to blame." "This time, it was my fault." "You must stop thinking about it, Franz." "Don't keep thinking about it." "You'll just drive yourself crazy always thinking about something you can't change anyway." "Come on." "This is lovely." "You don't know how lovely it is." "Yes, I do." "I know very well how lovely it is." "In a way, I'm happy it happened because now I share a secret with you, and everything's much stronger between us," "much stronger." "I'm not afraid anymore about all that business with Pums and his gang." "I'm not afraid at all now, because I know that I'm going to protect you." "I know it." "In bed she's as gentle as a feather, each time as quiet, tender and happy as at the start, and always a little serious." "He can never quite figure her out." "End of part 11, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "So now it's little Franz's turn." "Oh, Mieze." "Oh, yes." "You promised." "We agreed that I would wash you from head to foot." "And you said that maybe I could wash your whole shoulder too." "I just said that, Mieze." "I didn't mean it." "When you say something, you have to stick to it." "All right, then, if you must." "Mieze." "What's up?" "Stop it, Mieze." "Aren't I doing a good job?" "Sure you are." "You're just so thorough." "One has to be." "There." "Tell me, are you all doing something again with Pums?" "Another job?" "Why?" "I just thought I'd ask." "No idea." "Maybe." "No." "No, stop it, Mieze." "That's enough, please." "It tickles." "Since when do you not like being tickled?" "Not like that." "You usually like it when it tickles." "It's the first time I've been washed by a woman." "It's strange." "It's a new experience for you." "Say, why don't you take me along when you meet those guys, or when you go to your bar?" "Because it's nothing for you." "I don't want you to mix with scum like that." "Why not?" "If you can mix with them, I can mix with them." "Besides, I'd like to get to know the people you hang around with." "Take me along sometime, Franz." "Please." "Okay." "If you want to." "Come on, scratch my back." "It itches." "Farther down." "To the left a little." "No." "Farther left." "That's right." "No." "Farther right again." "Down a bit." "Yes." "That's it." "Harder." "Harder." "Now I've hurt you, haven't I?" "A little pain can't do any harm." "Maybe it's a good thing sometimes." "The girl is unbelievably gentle, and everything is so clean in her room, with flowers and ribbons, just like a little girl's." "Franz, stop it." "Hey." "Well, my dear, this is the thieves' den I always come to." "Hello, Biberkopf." "Hello." "Hello, there." "Hi, Max." "Hello." "This is Mieze." "She just had to see your joint once before she dies." "Well, here it is." "How do you do?" "Hello." "Don't overdo it, Maxie." "It'll only go to her head." "Sometimes you just have to ignore him." "It's a real pleasure to meet you." "Thank you." "Mieze." "This is Meck." "He used to be my closest buddy." "He's the only one out of this bunch who's basically okay." "Apart from Maxie, of course." "You can confide in Meck if you ever have a problem." "When all's said and done, he's okay." "Hello." "Hello." "My name's Mieze." "Mieze." "It's a pretty name," "Mieze." "And not very common." "Franz gave me the name." "My real name's Sonia, but Franz gave me a different name." "Now I'm Mieze." "Give me a kümmel with a beer, Maxie." "What about you?" "A glass of wine." "Okay, give her a drop of wine if you have a good one." "Something sweet." "She's fond of sweet things." "She doesn't think she's sweet enough herself." "She has to eat sweet things too." "He's running round again full of himself and showing off with his woman." "As if there were anything special about it." "She was pretty revolting the other day, blubbering when Franz beat her." "But maybe I'll take her away from him yet." "Here you go." "Thanks." "I hope you like it." "I'm sure I will." "Yes." "Let's sit down." "Cheers." "Cheers." "Give me another one, Max." "Okay." "Bruno, come over here." "What does he want?" "Why has he brought her along today?" "He's never brought her here before." "No idea." "Ask him yourself if you really want to know." "Take a look at the elegant guy at the table back there." "That's Pums." "Which one?" "My God." "The one sitting with Reinhold." "Reinhold's not sitting at the table." "He's standing at the bar." "Okay, so Reinhold's not sitting at the table." "You mean the distinguished guy with the gray temples?" "Yeah, that's who I mean." "Hi, Franz." "Hi, Reinhold." "Good evening, miss." "The last time we saw each other, things weren't so amusing." "But you've recovered quite nicely," "I must say." "Well, it looked a lot worse than it was." "I'm glad to hear it." "Say, how about a rematch?" "A little game, huh?" "Okay, if you want." "Go talk to Meck for a while, baby." "We've got a game to play." "That'll only bore you." "And Meck can tell a good story." "Go talk to him." "Okay, let's get started." "Here I am again." "But if I'm disturbing you, I'll go." "What makes you think that?" "On the contrary, you'd never disturb me." "Thank you." "One thing I don't understand, though, is that he sends you to me." "He hasn't spoken with me in ages." "Yes." "I don't understand that either." "When he talks about old times, he always speaks very well of you and says he likes you." "I don't know anything." "I have no idea what kind of problems there may have been, or may not have been." "To be honest, I know nothing about Franz." "I just love him." "I'm happy for Franz that you love him." "He deserves it." "Franz is a good guy." "Despite having messed up so much in his life, basically, he's a good guy." "Just look how hard he tries with his one arm." "Yes, that one arm." "Yes, that one arm." "By the way, Pums is planning something new." "Yeah?" "Do you know what it is exactly?" "No, but we'll soon find out." "It won't take long." "There." "I'm sorry." "You weren't up to scratch today." "One day I'll manage to win a game, even with just one arm." "Come on, Mieze." "See you some other time, Reinhold." "Yes, I'll see you sometime." "I must see that broad alone once." "And what's that got to do with me?" "You must set it up." "He introduced her to you, and she trusts you now." "I don't think she likes me so much." "I'm not helping you with a dirty trick like that." "No way." "You really won't?" "The Serpent in the Soul of the Serpent" "Should I tell Pums where the missing mink coat went last time?" "Do you really think that would be better?" "I have to go to the bathroom." "I'll be right back." "May I?" "Of course." "Thanks." "You said just now that you know nothing about Franz." "Well, I was thinking, if you'd like to, we could get together sometime and..." "That's very friendly of you." "Really very friendly." "When you live with a guy, but don't know much about him..." "Well..." "You know what I mean?" "Sure I do." "When..." "When could we get together?" "When?" "Well, tomorrow..." "I can't." "The day after tomorrow..." "No, that's not certain either." "But Monday..." "On Monday at 2." "And I'll say..." "Well," "I'll think of something." "Okay." "Monday at 2." "Near your place, round the corner on Clemensstrasse." "I have a black car." "It'll be parked there." "I'll be waiting for you." "So you've made friends already?" "That was quick." "Oh, I'm sorry." "She's a nice girl, a real nice girl, and I think she's just right for you." "That's my business, and nobody else's." "Was he bothering you?" "No, not at all." "I think he's really very nice." "Yeah, he is, really." "It would have surprised me." "No, no." "Meck is a guy you can rely on." "Cheers." "Monday, September 1, 1928" "You haven't said a word for half an hour again." "What's the matter?" "You know very well that's the meanest thing you can do to me:" "simply not speaking with me." "Say something." "Say "One, two, three" or "It's a long way to America"" "or "Alone at night is no one's delight," or something." "Why do you stare out of the window all day?" "Anyone can stand there saying nothing." "My mother always did that, when I'd done something she didn't like." "She simply didn't speak with me." "Once it went on for 20 days." "I nearly died." "And I didn't know what it was all about." "I always feel so alone when you're away." "Every time, it's two to three days." "I never know what to do with myself all on my own." "I don't want to be with others either." "I just don't understand it." "I've come back to you every time." "Besides, you should be pleased when I go away." "You can do what you like then." "Don't you ever feel the need for another girl?" "It's unnatural." "Any normal man would be interested in another woman sometime, even if he loves the one he's with." "Suddenly he meets a girl whose hair's a different color, or what do I know?" "It's not normal if you're not interested in anything else at all." "It's my job, after all." "Sometimes he wants to go away with me." "He has a conference somewhere or whatever." "It's boring for me too, lying around all day in the hotel but that's how things are." "One thing I can tell you, though:" "If you don't say something, something nice, before I leave, then I'm not leaving." "You've just got to say something." "Come on." "Say something." "Anything." "Silent night, holy night All is calm, all is bright" "I am small, my heart is pure" "Sigismund can't help it If he's handsome" "Sigismund can't help it if he's loved" "From heaven high I hail And bring you a new tale" "That's mean." "That's so mean." "Do you still love me?" "I must go." "I'm late already." "I look forward to coming back again." "See you." "Oh Christmas tree!" "Oh Christmas tree!" "What lovely dream there hangs on thee" "What are you up to with your knee, my dear Franz" "With your knee, my dear Franz, when you dance?" "Who will weep when saying goodbye" "When another stands at the corner nearby?" "Where should I turn" "When grief and pain oppress me?" "To whom shall I tell of my delight" "When with joy my heart" "Takes flight?" "To you, to you" "O Father" "In pain" "And suffering" "It's really nice when you tell me about Franz." "It's really nice." "Where are we actually going?" "I thought we'd go to Freienwalde." "It's lovely there." "What?" "Freienwalde?" "I was just there with Franz." "Were you?" "Yes." "After we had that fight." "To celebrate making up again." "But I don't mind going there." "Really." "It's a good place for me." "Tell me more about Franz." "Please, please." "It's so exciting to hear all these things, when I knew so little before." "At least I know something now, and maybe I'll get to know more." "Then I'll know who Franz really is." "I love him so much." "Oh, I see." "That's how it is." "That's why you wanted to see me." "And then you say you like Franz and you're a friend of his." "Don't get me wrong, Miss Mieze." "I think it's in your interest in the long run, and in Franz's too." "Are you telling me the truth, Meck?" "Yes." "It's the truth." "I believe you." "Maybe you're right." "There is a reaper whose name is Death, with power from almighty God." "He whets his knife." "It cuts much better now." "Hello." "Come and join me." "This is Miss Mieze, Reinhold." "You know each other, don't you?" "We've met briefly." "Very briefly." "It's my pleasure, miss." "I was just saying to Meck how lovely it is out here." "You like it here too?" "Oh, yes." "It's one of the loveliest places within easy reach of Berlin." "Shall we sit down?" "I'm very pleased you've come." "I was really looking forward to meeting you." "I really was." "Very much." "Thanks for the bouquet." "Even if they're not true, I've a soft spot for compliments." "Afterwards, we can take a stroll in the woods if you like." "We can chat a bit and walk..." "It's lovely out here in the woods." "I've been here with Franz." "We love going for walks out here." "You've been here before with Franz." "Yes, I've been here before with Franz." "I'd like my big ice-cream sundae, with fruit and lots of cream." "Like last time, madam?" "Yes, just like last time." "The ice-cream sundae was very good." "And you, sir?" "Just a cup of coffee." "No cake, nothing, thanks." "Well, here we are." "Just tell us what you'd like to talk about," "Miss Mieze." "I'm quite fond of a little chat now and then." "Oh, I don't mind." "You talk and talk, but what you talk about doesn't really matter." "The main thing is you're happy and enjoy life." "Funny." "Right now I feel real wise, like a preacher or a politician or something." "Strange, isn't it?" "Yes, very strange." "Is there a Mr. Meck here?" "A call for Mr. Meck." "That's for me." "Just a minute." "I'll be right back" "Do you really have to resort to such stupid tricks, Mr. Reinhold?" "You never know in advance whether you'll need tricks or not." "Usually they're necessary." "Sometimes, thank God, they're not." "And that's how I prefer it." "I far prefer that," "Miss Mieze." "With me, Mr. Reinhold, you don't need any tricks." "You can talk straight with me." "Do you understand?" "With me, you can, if you know how, talk straight." "Okay?" "I'm afraid I can't join you on your walk." "I have to wait here for a call." "An important decision's being made today." "Oh, what a pity." "A stroll out here is lovely." "Am I right, Mr. Reinhold?" "I agree entirely." "A stroll out here is one of the nicest things imaginable." "The trees do not cease to sing." "It is a long sermon." "To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven." "A time to be born, and a time to die." "A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." "To everything there is a season:" "A time to kill and a time to heal, a time to break down, and a time to build up." "A time to keep, and a time to cast away." "A time to rend, and a time to sew." "A time to keep silence, and a time to speak." "For everything, there's a season." "That's how I know there's nothing more beautiful than being happy." "There's nothing finer under the sun than laughing and being happy." "It is dangerous to walk too long without speaking." "You've got scars all over your hand and you're tattooed." "Are you tattooed on your chest too?" "Sure." "Want to see?" "Why do you have yourself tattooed?" "It depends where, miss." "So I imagine." "I knew a guy once, before Franz..." "The things he had tattooed on him." "You can't imagine it." "It hurts, but it's nice." "Would you like to see, miss?" "Cover yourself up again, Mr. Reinhold." "Take a good look." "Kiss it." "You must kiss it." "Let go of me." "Don't make such a fuss." "I'm going." "I haven't done anything." "I'm buttoning up my shirt again." "My God." "You must have seen a man before, surely." "You've messed up my hair." "And you hurt me." "It was just a second, just a tiny moment." ""There are sometimes moments in life..,"" "You didn't have to grab my head." "Stop grousing, Mieze." "Shall we make up again?" "All right." "But behave yourself, then." "It's a deal." "That wasn't so terrible." "Our bark is worse than our bite." "Why do you have an anvil there?" "Some guys have a naked woman or a heart or something." "But an anvil?" "What do you think?" "Nothing." "I don't know." "No idea." "It's my coat of arms." "An anvil?" "Sure." "Because someone has to lie down on it." "You're a swine." "You might as well have a bed put there instead." "I think an anvil's closer to the truth." "Are you a blacksmith?" "That too." "A little." "A guy like me can be anything." "But you don't understand that yet." "About the anvil, Mieze." "No one should get too close to me or there's trouble." "You're all like that in Pums' gang, huh?" "Maybe." "Maybe one or the other, or maybe another one, and yet another too." "Who knows?" "What do you guys do exactly?" "Oh, Mieze, ask your Franz." "He knows just as well as I do." "He doesn't tell me anything." "He just doesn't tell me anything." "It's just as well, and above all, it's wise." "Keeping your mouth shut is always the best thing." "Yes, but he could tell me." "Why won't he tell me?" "My God, what do you want to know, girl?" "What you guys do." "Do I get a kiss?" "If you tell me." "To everything, there is a season." "A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted, a time to get, and a time to lose." "I can't breathe." "Let go of me." "Stop it." "It's so hot." "Not so tight." "You'll kill me." "Let go of me, Reinhold." "You're crazy." "Get away from me." "You need a cold shower." "It's stupid." "You get your pants dirty here." "Wait, I'll take off my jacket." "Help me." "That's very nice of you." "Tell me something." "He soaks it up obliviously." "Sheer bliss." "Lust?" "Wild abandon." "Every movement is preordained, and let no one come to stop anything here, or there'll be a rupture such as no hurricane or avalanche can hinder." "It is a cannonball, a mine flying through the air, smashing through anything in its path, thrusting it aside." "On it goes, farther and farther." "Not so tight, Reinhold." "Mieze." "Yes," "Reinhold?" "What are you sizing me up for?" "Nothing." "I was just considering what you're doing to me." "Tell me one thing:" "How long have you known Franz?" "Your Franz?" "Yes." "Is he still yours?" "Who else's?" "And who am I?" "What do you mean?" "Yes." "Who am I?" "Okay, Reinhold, just let go of me." "Say, my girl, what do you really want?" "Nothing." "To be with you." "Well, doesn't that make me yours, then?" "Yes." "Reinhold, tell me about Franz." "You've known him so long." "I can't tell you anything." "Yes, you can." "I'm not saying anything." "No." "I don't want to." "Don't be so stubborn." "Let me get up." "Everything's getting dirty." "And if I were to tell you something?" "That would be great." "What would I get then, Mieze?" "Whatever you want." "Everything?" "Everything?" "You're lying so heavily on me again." "All right." "Then" "I'll tell you something about your Franz." "Last winter, when he was still selling newspapers, that was when I met him." "Yeah." "Then there was that business with the broads." "Is that really true?" "You bet it is." "But that was my idea." "He can't brag about that." "It was my idea." "And don't think he set me up with a single one of them." "Him and his broads." "No, thank you." "If he'd had his way, we'd have gone to the Salvation Army, for me to mend my ways." "You wouldn't mend your ways." "No." "You see there's no helping me." "You have to take me as I am." "You, though, you're a cute little thing." "Why do you have to pick a guy like that, with one arm, when you could have 10 for every finger?" "Hey, cut the baloney." "Well, love may be blind in both eyes, but that beats everything." "He wanted to send me to the sinners' bench." "Me." "But he didn't pull it off, your Franz." "And that's what he still is:" "your Franz." "He's still your Franz." "He still is, isn't he?" "Don't knock Franz like that." "I can't stand it." "Do you understand?" "I can't bear it when people knock Franz like that." "I know he's your Franz, your dear Franz." "I'm aware of that." "That shouldn't bother you." "It doesn't." "Didn't he ever tell you about his arm?" "No." "But you're his doll." "At least, you were." "Come here, Mieze." "What do you want with him, with a jerk like that?" "Don't try that number on me." "Be glad you're rid of him." "What am I supposed to be glad about?" "Now he can whine." "Now he's got no Mieze anymore." "Don't squeeze me so hard." "I'm not made of iron." "No, you're made of flesh." "Lovely, firm flesh." "Come on, Mieze." "I told you before not to squeeze me so tight." "And don't get any dumb ideas." ""Your Mieze," indeed." "How stupid." "Why are you screaming?" "Am I doing anything?" "Shut up." "He left you in one piece." "Be careful." "With me, it's different." "I won't scream." "So much the better." "Okay." "Now beat it." "I don't assault women." "In all my life, I've never done that." "But don't get me riled up either." "Do you understand?" "That's the way." "Getting on her high horse." "And she's just a cripple's whore." "I thought as much." "You're just a dirty little swine." "What did you say?" "I said, you're just a dirty little swine!" "I don't think you realize who you're talking to." "Maybe you can talk to your jerk like that." "When you want to slaughter a calf, you tie a rope around its neck, lead it to the block, lift the calf up, lay it on the block and bind it fast." "I..." "I'm not sure what I should do." "Lie down." "Me?" "And don't start screaming again." "I like you, otherwise I wouldn't have come here." "And don't play games with me." "That never did anyone any good, not man, woman or child." "I'm sensitive about that." "Just ask your Franz." "Maybe he can tell you something, if he's not too shy." "Or I could tell you, so you'll know who he is and where you stand when you get involved with me." "Once I had him in a car, your Franz, back then, after one of our raids." "And he goes on and on with that bunk about what a damn decent guy he is." "I didn't know what to do with him." "He's got such a big mouth and keeps bugging me." "Then I see this car behind us, and I think:" ""Okay, my boy, with all your decency..,"" "And, bam, he flies out of the car." "So." "Now you know where he lost his arm." "You murderer." "Swine." "You see?" "Now you'll fall in line." "You bastard!" "You wanted to kill him." "It was you who made him so unhappy." "You swine." "And now you want me." "Yes, I want you." "I spit on you, you swine, you..." "Help!" "Murderer!" "Franz, come here!" "Your Franz will enjoy this." "It'll keep him busy a whole week." "I want to go." "Yes." "You want to go." "You're not the first one to want to go." "You lured me here to pump me for information." "And now..." "Now you yell "Murderer!"" "because now you know the things you just had to know." "Okay, so now you know." "My name is Reinhold..." "His season to be born and to die, to be born and to die, for everything..." "Fury, Fury, is a reaper, with power from almighty God." "End of part 12, with:" "...together with major contributions by many others, present:" "Based on the novel by Alfred Döblin, a film in 13 parts with an epilogue." "Her face is destroyed, her teeth are destroyed, her eyes are destroyed, her mouth, lips, tongue, and throat, her body, her legs, her womb." "I am yours." "You should comfort me." "I'm not feeling well." "Come on." "We're nearly home." "I am yours." "The trees sway, the wind begins to blow:" "The night goes on." "Her body destroyed, her eyes, her tongue, her mouth..." "Come on." "We're nearly home." "I am yours." "A tree groans, standing by the wayside:" "It is the storm." "It comes with drums and fifes." "Now it's up above the forest." "Now it descends." "When it howls, it's down below." "The whimpering comes from the bushes." "Part 13 :" "The Outside and the inside and the Secret of Fear of the Secret" "It's as if something were being scratched." "It howls like a caged dog." "It whines and whimpers." "Listen how it whimpers." "Someone must have kicked it with his heel." "Now it's stopping again." "Eva?" "Why are you sitting here?" "Why are you sitting here all alone, Franz?" "Mieze has walked out on me." "You could have called me or dropped by." "If Mrs. Bast hadn't called me, I wouldn't have known anything." "I'm so ashamed, Eva." "Don't worry, Franz." "Mieze will be back." "She's fond of you." "She won't leave you." "I'm a good judge of people." "I know." "I know all that." "Do you think I'm worried?" "I know very well she'll come back." "There you are." "The girl's got a reason." "Maybe she ran into an old friend, or went for a spin." "I've known her much longer than you have." "She does things like that, gets some bee in her bonnet." "Maybe." "But it's still strange." "I don't know." "She loves you, Franz." "Franz, look." "Look at my tummy." "Don't you want to feel it?" "How come?" "What's up?" "It's from you, Franz." "You know, something small." "That's what Mieze wanted." "That's right." "Mieze wanted it." "My God, Eva." "Eva." "Eva, it's not possible." "Just wait, Franz, till she comes back, boy, will she make a face." "You can't imagine it." "You see, now you're all upset." "Why are you so upset?" "It's driving me crazy." "I just don't understand the girl." "So now I have to comfort you." "No, no." "It's just my nerves." "Maybe it's because of the baby." "Hey." "Just stop crying, Eva." "When Mieze comes back, she'll make such a fuss about it." "Franz, what should we do?" "It's not like her at all." "First you say it's nothing, she's gone for a spin with someone." "Then you say it's not like her." "I just don't know either." "Can I again?" "What?" "Listen to the baby." "Come on, then." "Although you can't hear anything yet." "Yes, I can hear it." "The storm returns." "It is night." "The forest is quiet, one tree next to another, grown tall together in peace." "Now they stand together like a herd." "When they stand so close, the storm can't reach them so easily." "Only the weak and outer ones succumb." "I'm not giving up the child." "I'm keeping it, even if Herbert throws a fit." "Why?" "Has Herbert said anything?" "No." "He thinks it's his." "But I'm keeping it." "And I'll be the godfather." "You're in a good mood, Franz." "Quite simply because nobody gets to me so easily." "Cheer up, Eva." "I know my Mieze after all." "She won't run under a bus." "It'll all work out." "I guess you're right." "Bye." "Hey." "What's up?" "No kiss today?" "You're so cheerful, Franz." "We have legs, we have teeth, we have eyes, we have arms." "Just let someone come and try to bite us or bite Franz." "Just let someone come." "He's got two arms, two legs." "He's got muscles." "He'll beat everything to a pulp." "Just let someone get to know Franz." "He's no pushover." "What we've been through, what we still have to go through, just let someone emulate that." "We'll drink to it, two drinks, nine drinks." "We have no legs, we have no teeth, we have no eyes, we have no arms." "Anyone can come along and bite Franz." "He's a pushover." "He can't defend himself." "All he can do is drink." "All the wind does is puff out its chest." "Just watch, it takes a breath, then blows it out:" "Then it inhales and exhales again:" "Each breath is as strong as a mountain." "Blowing out:" "The mountain is rolled up and rolled out again." "The wind exhales:" "Backward and forward." "Mieze's been gone three weeks now, but there's nothing I can do." "I just can't tell anyone." "Eva knows, Meck knows, and Mrs. Bast knows." "But I just can't tell anyone." "What else should I do?" "Inform the cops?" "They'd just laugh at me." "It is night." "The sun has gone down." "It starts again." "There it is." "Now it's down below, up above, and all around." "An amber light in the sky, and night again." "Amber light, night." "The whimpering and whistling grow stronger." "Those at the edge know what they're in for." "They whimper." "The grasses can bend, can wave, but what can the thick trees do?" "Suddenly, the wind stops blowing." "It has given up, stopped doing it." "Still they whine before it." "What will it do now?" "Go ahead." "Hide yourself, Mieze." "I'll find you." "You can't hide yourself that well." "Someday, I'll be able to row as well as I could when I had both arms." "I'll do it just for you, Mieze, because you deserve a whole man, not just half, and because I want you to be proud of me, and because I love you." "Mieze." "No need to keep me in suspense any longer." "You can come now." "Or would you rather I came?" "No?" "My God, then you should come." "Breath is a weight, a sphere that pushes and drives against the forest." "And when the forest stands on the hills like a herd of animals, the wind runs around the herd and roars through it." "Hello." "Breath is a weight, a sphere that thrusts and drives against the forest." "When the forest stands on the hills like a herd of animals, the wind runs around the herd and roars through it." "Haven't seen each other in ages." "That's right." "Come on in." "I've been away." "I met a girl with a lot of loot." "She invited me." "Well, you could've sent a postcard." "I'm not so great at writing cards." "And anyway, I always forget." "Usually I can't think of anyone" "I should write to." "Okay." "It was just a joke." "There's a dispute going on in there with Pums about all sorts of things." "You'll vote for us, won't you?" "Sure, if you say so." "You've given it more thought than I have." "Yeah, it's better if you vote for us, definitely better." "If you want to knock down a house, you can't do it with your bare hands." "You have to use a battering ram or bury dynamite beneath it." "Hello." "Hello." "You don't have the faintest idea about it." "The important thing, first of all, is to study the market, to find buyers, and to understand that when clothing doesn't sell, you have to switch to furs or something else." "What is there to study?" "That's right." "It can't be so hard to figure that out." "If clothing doesn't go, you have to switch to something else." "Really, it can't be that difficult." "All right, I know what you think." "You think everything can be done in no time at all." "The problem, however, is to understand that the economy's in a bad way, and to decide the right time to change." "The fact that such decisions are the crucial thing is something you don't grasp, none of you." "Not one of you." "That's right, and who takes care of the competition?" "Basically, you don't have to worry about the competition." "Really you don't." "Sure, there are competitors in this trade as in any other." "But what do we care about them?" "They're no problem for us at all." "No problem." "Okay." "So the competition is no problem." "If you say so." "The problem is keeping up-to-date though, and having the latest equipment, and knowing what opportunities exist." "That's what counts, and someone has to take care of that." "That's right." "Someone who knows the ropes." "And one thing I can tell you, without Pums you're finished." "He does all that for you." "He reads the newspapers and takes care of all the shit you know nothing about." "If you don't want to use the latest methods and take advantage of the opportunities the outfit offers, you understand, then sure, you don't need to work in a team of six or eight." "Then it'd be more logical for everyone to pinch his own stuff and try his own luck." "Exactly." "You've put it in a nutshell, Pums." "Under these circumstances, it makes more sense for everyone to work on his own, instead of all for one." "Do you understand?" "What Reinhold says is true." "Why should we all work for one guy?" "On the other hand, in my opinion, a genuine collaboration would be the finest thing of all." "We're all in favor of working together, otherwise we wouldn't be here." "But why work in an outfit where one guy has more rights, and the others have no way of controlling things?" "That's the least one should have, a little trust in such a group." "That's an absolute must." "Of course, if you don't trust me, okay..." "Just a minute." "If cooperation between people is based on a system in which everyone has to trust one guy, then a lot of people are dependent on that guy, and at his mercy." "That's baloney." "We all know that just stealing things won't fill our bellies." "You swipe the stuff, and you've got the goods." "But to turn them into cash..." "Then you need connections, and Pums has them, unlike the rest of us." "Absolutely right." "All the robbery in the world is nothing nowadays." "It takes more than crowbars and blowtorches." "You need to be a businessman today." "Right." "You need to be a businessman today." "That's why you're a silent partner in so many small businesses, in fur stores, for instance, and many others." "And that's the reason why we always have to steal goods and never go for money, right?" "Because Pums can trade the goods with his own shops." "Right?" "That's sheer baloney." "Goods are simply not as dangerous as money." "Do you think you'd still be running around free if you'd gone for money instead of goods?" "Do you really believe that?" "The whole concept is wrong." "Goods have to be altered before being sold." "They go through five or six pairs of hands." "That's more dangerous than straight money." "That's right." "And why do you think Pums is the only one among us to have feathered his nest for the winter?" "I don't know what you want, but if you think I'm cheating you..." "Okay, if you want, one of you can always be around to check up on me." "We don't want to be in an outfit where one guy has to check on another." "We want equal rights." "Fine, but with equal obligations." "And shared responsibility." "Yes, that's it, responsibility." "You want equal rights, and maybe equal obligations, but never equal responsibility." "You're afraid of that." "If you say so." "I, for my part, have a plan." "So you've got a plan." "What kind of plan?" "What kind of plan could he have?" "Come on, Rudi." "Out with it." "Out with this plan of yours." "Go on." "Tell them about it." "Well, there's this bandage factory on Stralauer Strasse, in a backyard, with a safe in a private office, with a very big sum of money in it." "Since the building's in a backyard, there's no danger at all." "What's more, the safe's pretty ancient." "And there's money in it, cash, not tomatoes or pants or some ridiculous fur coats." "That's the important thing, money for once, not goods." "With money, it's impossible to cheat." "You can split up money six ways, five ways, or nine." "Money can be divided up precisely." "Well, all I can say is, I'm against it." "Yes, and I think the whole idea is idiotic." "How do you know if Rudi has figured everything out right?" "I mean really calculated everything." "How do you know?" "We know because we helped him do it." "But I think the matter's very simple." "If you're against it, let's take a vote, huh?" "Take a vote?" "I haven't heard such baloney in a long time." "But, okay, for all I care." "Let's take a vote." "Why should we?" "Give them their chance." "Very well, gentlemen, all those in favor of doing this job Rudi has thought up, raise their hands." "Well, I reckon with Franz's vote we're in the majority, aren't we?" "Now it goes:" "Without drums, and without whistles." "The trees sway to the right and left." "But they can't keep up the beat." "When the trees sway to the left:" "It goes over to the left-hand side." "They snap, clap, flap, crack, burst, pour down." "Let me try." "You need to know what you're doing." "I still want to try." "And I say it's no use." "It's really no use." "You have to know how it works." "You have to stop." "The guard will be back any minute now." "Come on." "Let's get out of here." "You're such a damned idiot." "I've never seen such an idiot." "That was our only chance, and you've ruined everything." "You've handed him all the trump cards, every single one." "You've screwed up everything, you fool." "Idiot." "Whoom goes the storm." "You must go left:" "Go back." "It's all over." "It's past." "You have to wait for the right moment." "Here it comes again." "Watch out." "Those are bombs." "It wants to tear down the forest." "It wants to crush the entire forest." "You idiot." "As I've always said, goods are better." "For everything else, you have to be a specialist, Meck." "Idiot." "You know very well that could happen to anybody." "Maybe, but it didn't have to happen today." "Today or tomorrow, goods are better." "The trees roar and sway." "It patters." "They break." "It sputters." "Life is at stake." "The sun has gone." "Falling weights." "Night." "I am yours." "Come." "We'll soon be there." "I am yours." "Quick." "Go in there." "Mrs. Bast." "Yes?" "Were you asleep?" "Yes." "I'm sorry." "Would you happen to have any bandages and a salve?" "Or powder would be better." "A friend of mine's burned himself." "Just a minute." "I'll have to look." "What time is it?" "No idea." "Three or 4." "You've got nerve." "I've got something in the box there." "I drink a little, and my woman's already screaming." "Or it's New Year's Eve, and I come home, and she's not there." "She doesn't come home until 7;:00." "She's slept with another guy." "She's cheated on me." "I've given up my business, and haven't got a wife anymore." "And Franz with Mieze..." "Reinhold's a swine." "That's okay, Mrs. Bast." "You go back to bed." "Come here, Meck." "Sit down over here." "Give me your hand." "Sure, it hurts a bit, but you must have expected that." "Is that better?" "Yes." "It's idiotic that this had to happen today." "You can't choose your defeats." "So they say, and it's probably true, but that doesn't say anything really." "No, no." "I have to do that on my own." "Bandaging like that, you know, calls for sensitivity from the person applying it, and from the one who feels it." "Sometimes, I notice while I'm speaking that what I'm saying is a load of baloney," "but I like to say it anyway." "Franz." "Yes?" "I should have told you something long ago." "Oh, yes?" "What's that?" "About Reinhold." "Franz," "Reinhold's a bad guy." "Meck, if there's one thing I can't stand, it's people knocking Reinhold." "He's a good guy at heart, even if none of you can see it." "You're blind, Franz, in both eyes." "Okay, Meck, let's not talk about it anymore." "There's nobody I can talk to about it." "Hardly to myself either." "In his innermost heart, there are two he loves." "One is his Mieze, the other is" " Reinhold." "I'm going now." "I haven't told you everything that I wanted to and ought to tell you." "I hope you'll be able to forgive me for it someday." "Do you know how late it is?" "Yes." "Will you give me another one?" "Okay, but make it quick." "I need some sleep too." "What's up with your hand?" "Oh, nothing." "I burned it." "I see." "You burned it." "Max, you know about things that aren't quite lawful." "I wanted to ask you something." "That depends." "I'm not a lawyer, but maybe I can help you." "I just wanted to know what the situation is if you help bury a corpse." "Bury a corpse?" "What does that mean?" "Well, when you find someone who's dead, and you bury him." "Is it a corpse you wanted to hide, shot by the police or something?" "Whatever." "The main thing is you didn't kill the person yourself, but you don't want the body to be found." "Can you be held responsible then?" "Well, it depends if you knew the dead person, if you had some advantage in burying him." "An advantage." "I didn't have any advantage in it." "It was done in friendship." "I just helped." "Someone's lying there dead, and I thought it'd be better if the body wasn't found." "You mean found by the police?" "That's just unlawfully concealing evidence, I'd say." "But it also depends on how the person died." "I don't know." "I wasn't there." "Just doing things for other people." "I'm not an accessory." "I knew nothing about it." "It's lying there, dead." "Then suddenly, it's, "Give me a hand." "We're going to bury it,"" "Who said that to you?" "Who said it?" "Who said that to me?" "Somebody." "I just want to know where I stand." "Have I committed a crime in helping to bury it?" "Not the way you describe it, not really, or at least nothing very serious, if you weren't involved or didn't have a vested interest in it." "But why, I ask, did you help do it?" "I just lent a hand out of friendship." "I didn't help do it." "But that doesn't matter." "I had nothing to do with it." "I didn't stand to gain from it either." "Around the world, somewhere in the world, around the world, in absolute calm and peace." "With some people you can do what you like, they always land on their feet." "There are people like that." "What was she wearing?" "A dark skirt and a pink blouse." "Silk?" "Maybe it was silk." "But it was pale pink." "Anything else?" "She always wore something in her hair, something like a bow." "A bow." "Inspector." "Just a moment." "We've found this ribbon." "Over there, where the soil's dug up." "By that tree trunk lying on the ground." "Was it a bow like this?" "Yes." "That'll be all, officer." "Yes, sir." "All right, so when you arrived, the girl was already dead?" "Yes." "How do you want to prove it?" "How come?" "Well, when your Reinhold says you killed her, or that you helped..." "I helped carry her." "Why should I kill the girl?" "For the same reason he killed her, or allegedly did." "But I wasn't even with her." "You were in the afternoon." "But not afterwards." "She was still alive then." "That's a shaky alibi." "Where were you in the evening and during the night after this business with Reinhold?" "I was out of town." "Out of town." "He gave me his passport, and I beat it, so that I'd have an alibi if it came to light." "Strange." "And why do you report it now?" "Were you such good friends with him back then?" "No, I wasn't, but Franz was." "They seem to have found something." "She was the daughter of a streetcar conductor from Bernau." "Her mother ran out on her husband." "Sometimes, the girl went to Berlin." "A few times, she went with a guy to a hotel." "Then it was too late, she didn't dare go home." "She stayed in Berlin, where she met Eva." "And so on." "Finally, she found a regular partner, a strong, one-armed guy whom Mieze immediately liked, and she stayed true to him to the end." "It was a terrible end, a sad end that Mieze met." "Why?" "What had she done wrong?" "Drawn into the maelstrom of Berlin, she certainly wasn't innocent, but she cared for the guy who was her partner like a child with a tender, unquenchable love." "She was destroyed because she happened to stand next to that man." "That's life." "It's hard to imagine." "She went to Freienwalde to protect her friend, and there she was, strangled and done away with." "That's life." "And I turned and saw the injustice of everything that took place beneath the sun." "How much Job suffered before he had experienced everything." "Job rent his clothes, he bit his own hands." "He tore his hair, heaped earth upon himself." "But not enough." "Job was stricken with sores from the soles of his feet to his thighs." "He sat in the sand, and pus flowed from him." "He took a shard and scraped himself." "Come in." "Miss Eva is here, Mr. Biberkopf." "Eva." "Hello, Eva." "Well, my girl, what's up?" "Something's up." "Whenever you're like that, something's up." "Has something happened?" "Nothing bad, is it?" "Leave me alone." "Okay, Eva." "Would you mind telling me what's wrong?" "Come inside." "Is something up with Herbert?" "Did he smack you one?" "I'm not coming in." "I'm not coming in." "I'm not." "What's the matter with her?" "I haven't done anything." "You dumb women." "Stop making a fuss." "You think I'm some poor ape anyway, who belongs to you." "I'm so sorry, Miss Eva, so very sorry for you, of course, and for Mieze." "But it's worst of all for Franz, isn't it?" "Hey, that's me." "That's me and Reinhold." ""Prostitute murdered in Freienwalde." "Emilie Karsunke from Berlin..." "Emilie Karsunke from Berlin..,"" "What's all this?" "What does it mean?" "Murder." "Mieze?" "My picture in the paper..." "My picture." "Me and Reinhold and murder." ""Emilie Karsunke from Berlin,"" "Me and Reinhold and murder." ""Emilie Karsunke from Bernau in Freienwalde..,"" "How did she wind up in Freienwalde?" "Me and Reinhold." "Well, Franz, what do you say now?" ""Murder near Freienwalde." "Emilie Karsunke from Bernau, born June 13th, 1904,"" "She's dead." "That's why we couldn't find her." "And why is your picture in the paper?" "I don't know." "For God's sake." "What is all this?" "I don't know how it got in the paper either." "It's strange." "What...happened?" "She's dead." "Something must have happened to her." "Now we know." "She didn't leave me." "Someone killed her." "Eva." "Our Mieze, someone's killed her." "My Mieze." "Eva, have you read it?" "Someone killed her, Mieze." "Someone killed Mieze, our Mieze." "She didn't run away." "She didn't leave me." "Something happened to her." "She didn't run out on me." "In the terrible tragedy in Prague, 21 bodies have been recovered." "Some 150 people lie buried in the ruins." "Only a few minutes before, this heap of rubble had been a new seven-story building." "Now many people lie dead or seriously injured beneath it." "The entire reinforced concrete structure, weighing 880 tons, collapsed into the two stories below ground." "When a policeman heard the structure cracking, he warned passing pedestrians." "With great aplomb, he leapt onto an approaching streetcar and pulled the brake himself." "Heavy storms are raging over the Atlantic." "Bergmann has been put on trial, an economic parasite, unscrupulous, a public enemy." "The Graf Zeppelin arrives over Berlin with poor visibility." "The airship leaves Friedrichshafen at 2:17 a.m. beneath a starlit sky." "To avoid bad weather over central Germany, the airship follows a route over Stuttgart, Darmstadt," "Frankfurt am Main, Giessen, Kassel, and Rathenow." "At 8:35 a.m., it is over Nauen, at 8:45, over Staaken." "Shortly before 9, the Zeppelin appeared over the city." "In spite of rainy weather, onlookers crowded the rooftops, cheering the airship on its way as it made a curve over the east and north of the city." "At 9:45 a.m., the first mooring rope was dropped in Staaken." "What are you laughing about?" "I asked you why you're laughing." "What is there to laugh about?" "T ell me!" "Why am I laughing?" "Do you really want to know why I'm laughing?" "Just ask yourself why I'm laughing." "Why am I laughing?" "Because Mieze's dead, and because she didn't run out on me, and because somebody killed her, and because Mieze didn't run out on me." "Do you understand?" "No, Franz." "I don't understand." "No." "No, no, no." "There is a reaper whose name is Death." "And he arrives on hatchets and knives," "blowing a little flute." "Then he opens wide his jaws, and he takes out his trumpet." "Will he blow the trumpet?" "Will he beat the drum?" "Will the terrible black battering ram come?" "Ever so softly." "No!" "I lay under the car." "It was just like now." "There was a mill and a quarry, and it was pouring down on me incessantly." "I pull myself together, but no matter what I do, it's no use." "It wants to put an end to me." "Even if I were an iron girder, it would want to smash me." "Yes, something's going to happen." "What's going to happen?" "Watch out, Franz." "They're after you." "Franz?" "Anything new?" "Herbert." "Herbert, did you read it?" "I'm supposed to have killed Mieze." "Me?" "I..." "I may have given her a good hiding, but they think that because I..." "Because I did Ida in..." "Look at me, Eva." "Is something wrong with me?" "Hey, look at me." "Is there something wrong with me?" "No." "Just look at me and say if there's something wrong with me." "No." "There must be!" "What should I do?" "Meck was out in Freienwalde as well." "They dragged Mieze out there." "Then Reinhold did it with brute force." "Why should Reinhold have done it?" "He threw me under the car." "You might as well know now, it was Reinhold." "But it doesn't matter." "I'm not mad at him because of it." "But when I learn something like that, and a guy has to learn things..." "If he doesn't learn, he'll never know anything." "You run around like an idiot, with no knowledge of the world." "I'm not mad at him." "He wanted to put me in my place." "He thought he had me in his pocket, but I wasn't in his pocket." "He didn't have me in his pocket, and he saw that." "That's why he took Mieze away from me and did that to her." "But it wasn't..." "It wasn't Mieze's fault." "Oh, why?" "Why, oh, why?" "All because..." "All because of some hullabaloo Some hullabaloo" "All because of some hullabaloo" "But that doesn't worry me." "It doesn't worry me at all now." "Why didn't you tell Mieze about it?" "It's not my fault." "There's nothing you can do about it." "He could have shot me down when I was at his place." "I tell you, though, there's nothing you can do about it." "If only you'd said something," "Mieze would be alive today." "She'd be alive today if you had said just one word, and that other jerk would be running around with his head under his arm." "It's not my fault." "You can never tell what a guy will do." "Who knows what he's doing now?" "You never find out things like that." "You bet I'll find out." "Just wait." "Don't go near him, Herbert." "I'm afraid too." "I'll take care." "I just have to find out where he's holed up, and half an hour later, the cops will have him." "Hands off him, Herbert." "He's not yours." "He belongs to me to me." "End of part 13, with:" "Franz Biberkopf has reached the end of his mortal path." "The time has come to break him." "The man is finished." "Why are two angels walking beside Franz?" "What kind of game is this?" "Where do two angels walk beside a man on Alexanderplatz, Berlin, in 1928:" "A man who has killed, and who is now a burglar and a pimp." "This tale of Franz Biberkopf and his oppressive, yet real and illuminating existence has progressed this far." "The more Franz Biberkopf writhes and foams, the clearer everything becomes." "The moment nears when everything will be illuminated." "Look, he's got a false arm." "He hasn't given up the game yet." "He doesn't want to be recognized." "Mr. Biberkopf." "What's this distinguished gentleman been up to?" "He's a hardened criminal who should be thrown in jail." "He should get life:" "killing a woman, pinching things, robbery, and then another woman." "He's to blame for that too." "What does he expect?" "What do you think, Sarug?" "What would happen if this man were left to his own devices?" "It wouldn't make any difference." "Then we're superfluous?" "Yes, a little, I think, because we can't get him completely out of here." "If we were to take this man out of here, put him somewhere else, in another existence:" "has he done all he could do here?" "I don't know." "But this man is very ordinary." "Why do we have to protect him of all people?" "Ordinary, extraordinary, what does that mean?" "Is a beggar ordinary, or a rich man extraordinary?" "Tomorrow the rich man's a beggar, and the beggar's rich." "He puffs himself up, plays the innocent, decent guy." "Just look at the scoundrel." "But wait till a cop comes by!" "That'll knock his hat sideways." "Why should a guy like that go on living?" "I snuffed it too." "I was even younger than he is and already dead." "Not a peep out of me anymore!" "Take your hat off, you ape." "You're not a journalist, you dope." "You don't even know your ABCs." "Just wait, they'll get you too." "Leave him alone." "He's nuts." "He's got a screw loose." "Look, he's walking with two angels, and his sweetheart's a corpse at police headquarters." "He's all washed up." "You don't start yelling about a guy like that." "My life is over." "I'm finished." "I've had enough." "What city is this?" "What enormous city is this?" "And what kind of life did I lead in it?" "I didn't kill Mieze, though." "I didn't do that." "And I don't know how it all came about." "But she called out for you when she died." "She's probably arrived here already." "You end up here faster than you think." ""I can't go on living." "Say goodbye to my parents and my kid." "Life's become an agony for me." "Only Reinhold has me on his conscience." "Let him have his fun." "He just used me like a toy and bled me white." "A big, low-down good-for-nothing." "He was responsible for my misfortune." "I'm all washed-up,"" "Is my Mieze here?" "Don't be sad." "You shouldn't be sad." "But where's my little Mieze?" "What's troubling you, my son?" "Speak up." "What's troubling you?" "I just wanted to see my Mieze, that's all." "I just happened to be passing by." "Look, I'm already dead." "Don't take life so hard, nor death, for that matter." "You can make things easier for yourself." "When I'd had enough and was sick, what did I do?" "Do you think I'd wait till I get bedsores?" "Why should I?" "I put the bottle of morphine next to me." "Then I said, "Turn up the music." "Piano, jazz, hits..,"" "I had them read to me from Plato, just the Symposium." "It's a beautiful dialogue." "And all the time, beneath the blanket" "I was secretly giving myself one shot after another." "I counted them:" "three times the fatal dose." "And all the time, I heard the tinkling of the piano." "It's amusing." "And the person reading to me spoke of Socrates." "There are clever people, and not so clever people." "Come here!" "Quick!" "Cut him down!" "He doesn't want to stay in his grave." "He keeps climbing up trees and hanging there all crooked." "Really?" "Why?" "He was sick for so long." "No one could help him, and they didn't want to send him away." "They kept saying he was just pretending." "So he went down to the cellar with a hammer and a nail." "I could hear him hammering." "I wondered what he was doing." ""Good that he's working and not just sitting around," I thought." ""Maybe he's building a rabbit hutch,"" "But he was just hammering a thick nail into the ceiling." "He wanted to make sure." "What's the matter?" "Are you all right?" "Something wrong, young man?" "What are you whimpering about?" "Do you want to kill yourself too?" "No." "They've killed my girl, and I don't know where her body is." "Then take a look back there, where the new ones are." "My God, why can't you stay lying down here?" "Why do you have to keep climbing up the trees?" "In Berlin, in 1927, 48,742 people died, not counting the stillborn:" "4570 of tuberculosis, 6443 of cancer," "5656 of heart disease, 4818 of vascular disease," "5140 of strokes, 2419 of pneumonia," "961 of whooping cough;" "562 children died of diphtheria, 123 of scarlet fever," "93 of measles." "A total of 3640 infants died, and there were 42,696 births." "Mieze!" "Mieze, what have we done?" "Why did they do that to you?" "You didn't do anything, Mieze." "This man here, however ordinary his path through life may have seemed, differs in one respect from ordinary people." "What could it be that makes him different from ordinary people?" "You just said "ordinary" and "extraordinary" are words devoid of meaning." "This man has unwittingly failed to grow up, Sarug." "But he's about to now." "And everyone who suffers from this rare misfortune has the tendency, when on the threshold of seeing and feeling, to gain this insight and then slip away and die." "The exceptional strain has exhausted him, body and soul." "Do you understand?" "Yes, so far I understand." "But assuming we save his life, which is exhausted in body and soul, what sort of life will that be?" "An ordinary one, no more, no less." "Then why all our trouble and effort?" "Who could be interested in preserving such a life?" "That's precisely the secret." "You see, you don't know either, Sarug, how you became what you are," "the way you were, how you came to be walking here with me and protecting other beings." "That's true, Terah." "I don't know." "One is never intrinsically strong, just by nature." "You must have been through something." "Strength has to be acquired." "You don't know how you acquired it." "Suddenly you're standing there, and things that are deadly to others are no longer a danger to you." "Mieze," "Mieze!" "What can I do?" "Why don't they throw me in a grave like that?" "How much longer must it go on?" "Once more entering the field" "God's might will lead us on" "Fighting for him, We shall not yield" "Till the Lord's victory be won" "He who prays and trusts God's might" "May assured of victory be" "Through all the darkness And the night" "His soul be pure and free" "If Satan seeks to harm my soul" "Still I shall have no fear" "For God shall be my constant goal" "And him I shall revere" "He who prays and trusts God's might" "May assured of victory be" "Through all the darkness and the night" "His soul be pure and free" "Lüders!" "You were the first swine." "You were the first mean, low-down, dirty swine." "It was you who began to destroy me, who started eating away at me, ruining me." "It all started with you." "It's November 22." "Do you want to catch cold?" "Why don't you go to your beloved bar and have a drink?" "Hand Reinhold over!" "You belong in the madhouse with a nervous breakdown." "Let him come out, the scum, the horny bastard!" "Or don't you have the guts to?" "Who are you calling to if he doesn't answer?" "You're calling someone who's not here." "No one would be crazy enough to hide where you look for him." "Police!" "Hey, police, police!" "My God!" "Franz!" "What are you doing lying on the ground?" "Why?" "Everyone's looking for you, and with your arm, it's a wonder they haven't found you yet." "Have you found out anything else?" "There's nothing I can do." "I have to endure it." "He can destroy me." "He did the girl in, and here I stand like a fool." "We believe you, Franz." "We both believe you." "You go on until you break." "I've stood enough and done enough." "I can't do anymore." "No one can say" "I didn't defend myself." "But it's the straw that breaks the camel's back." "Since I can't kill Reinhold, I'll kill myself." "I'll go to hell with drums and trumpets sounding." "That's the man." "We'll go to hell with drums and trumpets sounding." "We're finished with this world." "To hell with it and everything in it, under it, and over it, and with all the people, the men and women, the infernal riffraff." "You can't rely on anyone." "If I were a little bird, I'd take a pile of crap and throw it behind me with both legs." "Then I'd fly away." "If there is a God, we're not only different from him because of our evil or virtue." "We all have a different nature and different lives." "We differ in manner, in our past and our future." "What's up, Andrei?" "I'm ashamed of myself." "I don't understand." "Why are you ashamed of yourself?" "Because of you." "Because of me?" "How come?" "Because I love you." "That's nonsense." "That's perfectly normal in here." "In here, people love each other, but outside, everything's different." "You forget all about it." "That's just it." "For all I care..." "For all I care, it may be normal for everyone in here." "For everyone, but not for me." "For me, it's just not normal." "That's nonsense, Andrei." "It's because this is your first time in here." "Most people feel the same." "They feel ashamed, but once they're outside again, and everything's as it used to be, they laugh about it and say, "Oh, we just had a bit of fun in there,"" "Better than no fun at all, you understand?" "It's not just that." "There's something else as well." "All my life," "I was crazy about broads." "At the same time, I was sick of them and didn't know how to get rid of them." "I always suffered from the fact that I couldn't stand them" "and that they didn't go away." "All my life." "Now, when I imagine that they're letting you out, and I'm staying here..." "For the first time," "I don't understand myself." "I simply don't understand myself." "When they let you out the day after tomorrow, then..." "In the past, that was all different, completely different." "Another four years I have to do here, all because of some stupidity." "What are four years?" "And without you as well." "I wouldn't even have known where to get the schnapps." "I'm really lost." "When you've been here a bit longer, you'll know all the tricks and get all the schnapps in the world." "I don't want to." "I don't want to." "I can't bear it." "I can't go on living like this." "And then there's that revolting Polack." "I can't bear it." "Andrei, what did he want anyway?" "Never mind." "It doesn't matter now anyway." "How could I know, my God, that it'd be four years?" "I never dreamed they'd give me four years." "What's up with you and this... this Pole?" "You're a Pole yourself, aren't you?" "What do you have against him?" "I'm not a Pole." "That's what he wanted from me:" "to know I'm not a Pole." "I don't understand." "I thought your name's Andrei Moroskiewicz." "That's Polish, isn't it?" "That's just it:" "my name's not Andrei Moroskiewicz or anything like it." "That's just it." "And now he's trying to put the screws on me till I submit." "He wants to squeeze me out like a lemon." "He's got me in the palm of his hand." "Why do you have a Polish passport if that's not your name?" "My God, why do I have a passport like that?" "Simply because I wanted to be a real smart-ass." "I go to a streetcar stop and snatch a woman's purse, and I get myself arrested." "Then, when I'm in court, the passport turns out to belong to a guy who's wanted." "I love you so much." "Even if you're not a girl, I love to touch you." "You have such beautiful skin." "I'll be done for when you go." "It's all over for me." "I still don't understand the story about the name." "My God, it's simple." "I killed a girl." "Did you hear me?" "I did a girl in." "Don't look at me like that." "I didn't want to." "It just happened." "Come here." "Come to me." "There was a 1000-mark reward on Reinhold's head." "What was one to do?" "Go on unemployment and think about it with 1000 marks at stake?" "So they caught him and put him in a police cell." "The Death of a Child and the Birth of a Worthwhile Human Being" "What's up?" "He's badly hurt." "We must drive him to the hospital." "Baloney!" "It's best to finish him off." "We'll drive over him some more and throw him in the ditch." "In the prison, they think at first" "Franz Biberkopf is just pretending to be crazy, knowing that his head's on the block." "Then the doctor examines the prisoner." "They take him to the hospital in Moabit." "But they can't get a word out of him there either." "The man really seems to be insane." "He lies there all stiff, his eyes blinking occasionally." "When he refuses all food for two days, they drive him out to Buch, to the madhouse, a closed asylum." "It's the right thing to do:" "the man must be kept under observation." "No!" "No!" "No!" "She sits by the water, the great Babylon, the mother of whoring and all horrors on earth." "She sits on a scarlet beast, she has seven heads and ten horns." "It's a sight to see!" "She delights in every step you take." "She's drunk with the blood of the saints whom she tears apart." "Behold the horns with which she butts." "She comes from the abyss and leads to damnation." "Look at her:" "the pearls, the purple color, the scarlet... her teeth, how she bares them, the bloated lips!" "Blood has flowed over them." "She has drunk with them." "Oh, whore, Babylon, golden yellow, poisonous eyes, bloated throat, the way she smiles at you!" "First, they put Franz in the observation ward, because he just lay stark naked without covering himself, and he kept tearing his nightshirt off." "That was the only sign of life Franz Biberkopf gave for several weeks." "He kept his eyes tightly shut." "He lay there stiff, refusing all nourishment, so that they had to force-feed him for weeks on end with only milk and eggs and a little cognac." "That's taking medical care too far." "Almost intrusive, isn't it?" "He has to learn." "That's what comes of it." "Yes, that's what comes of it." "Von Hardenberg, open up!" "I don't understand it, Biberkopf." "Why won't you let us help you?" "I just want to help you." "Von Hardenberg, open up!" "For God's sake, open your eyes!" "You can hear me." "I'm faking it too." "Home sweet home, you know." "Sweet home, that's under the earth for me." "If I'm not at home, I want to be put under the earth." "The microcephalics want to turn me into a troglodye, a caveman, and this is the cave I'm meant to live in." "You know what a troglodye is, don't you?" "That's what we are." "Awake, oh, damned of this earth!" "You who are constantly forced to starve." "As victims, you have fallen in battle, in holy love of the people." "You gave your utmost for the people and life and happiness and freedom." "That's us." "Hey... don't you understand?" "That's us." "In magnificent chambers the tyrant feasts, drowning his unease in wine." "But a hand has long been writing warning signs on the sumptuous table." "I'm self-taught." "The things I've learned I learned myself, all from the penitentiary." "Now they lock me in here." "They take the people's rights away." "They regard me as a public danger." "Well, so I am." "I'm a freethinker," "I tell you." "You see me sitting here, the calmest guy in the world, but if I'm provoked...!" "The time will come when the people will awake, the mighty, strong, free people." "Rest easy, then, brothers." "Nobly, grandly you have sacrificed yourselves for us," "I can't help but think that Biberkopf's ailment is psychogenic." "This stiffness has its origins in the mind." "His pathological state comes from inhibitions and constraints, which analysis could resolve, maybe through a regression to a far-removed mental state if..." ""if," that big word "if,"" "That most regrettable word "if," It's a pity, but this "if" is a big problem." "If Franz Biberkopf would speak, sit down together with us and cooperate with us in eliminating his conflict." "Next you'll believe that the paralysis is psychological and the spirochetes happen to be lice in his brain." "The mind, the mind!" "Oh, this modern catch-all for the emotions." "Medicine on the wings of song!" "If I were you," "I'd try electricity." "That doesn't help either, but it's better than all this blather." "Basically, that's nonsense too." "If you use weak current, it doesn't help." "Use strong current, and you're really in for something." "One knows it from the war." "High-voltage treatment, "Oh, boy!"" "Anyway, that's not allowed here." "They call it modern torture." "Very well," "then what should we do, in your opinion, in a case like Franz Biberkopf's?" "First, you make a diagnosis, and the right one if possible." "A game leg won't heal with sweet talk." "You can play the piano to it, it still won't heal." "You have to set the bones right and apply a splint." "Then it'll heal." "It's the same with a corn." "You have to put lotion on it, or buy better boots." "The latter is more expensive, but more effective." "So, what should we do in this Biberkopf case?" "I ask again," "Dr. Proll, what's your opinion?" "You just heard it, make the right diagnosis, which in this case, according to my outdated diagnostics, is catatonic stupor." "Unless, of course, there's some major organic cause behind it all:" "In the brain, a tumor in the midbrain." "Catatonic stupor." "Yes." "Lying there all stiff, the outbreaks of perspiration, then the occasional blinking of the eyes, observing us very well, but not saying anything," "and not eating anything either." "But sooner or later, our Mr. Malingerer or a psychogenic passes out." "Starve to death?" "Ha!" "He won't let things go that far." "What does this diagnosis do for the man?" "It doesn't help him at all." "What do you say as senior physician?" "He would have jumped at the chance long ago if the problem were in his so-called mind." "When a hard-boiled convict like him sees a young gentleman who knows damn all about him, pardon my French, and thinks he's a faith healer." "For a guy like that, you're a godsend." "That's fine with him." "And what he does, he would have done long ago." "You see, doctor, if the guy had his wits about him..." "But that's just it, doctor." "He's inhibited." "In my opinion, it's the result of some blockage but caused by mental factors:" "a loss of reality, disappointment, denial, then childish, impulsive claims on reality, unsuccessful attempts to restore his hold on it." "Nonsense!" "Mental factors, indeed!" "Then he would experience different mental factors." "Then he would overcome the blockage and inhibitions, give them to you for Christmas." "In one week, he'd get up with your help." "My God, what a great faith healer you are!" "Praised be the new therapy!" "Send a telegram in tribute to Mr. Freud in Vienna, and a week later he'll be walking the corridor with your help." "A miracle, a miracle!" "Hallelujah!" "Another week, and he'll know his way around the yard, and thanks to your benevolent support, a week later, behind your back," "hallelujah, he'll be gone." "I don't understand that." "We should give it another try." "I don't believe it." "But I do." "You'll learn with time." "You need to have experienced all that." "So just don't torment the man anymore." "Believe me, there's no point." ""He who leaves things in God's hands..,"" "And the whole institution asks but one question:" ""What injection will our Franz get today?"" "And they laugh at the doctors behind their backs, because nothing works with him." "They can't get through to him." "He's a tough customer, one of the toughest." "He'll show them all." "He knows what he wants." "Who is this mendacious person?" "Biberkopf, yoo-hoo!" "A real hoopoe!" "A true cuckoo!" "He's probably waiting for the snow to fall, thinks we'll have gone then and won't come back." "The things he thinks!" "A guy like that can't think at all." "He has no brains upstairs." "He just wants to lie here and sulk or something." "We'll put a spoke in his wheel." "We have bones of iron." "Untie him." "Another goal!" "The goal's torn." "Watch this." "No goal." "An empty hole." "Snarl." "Calm down, gentlemen." "It's hardly worth it with that man." "The guy's not up to very much:" "there's no meat and no fat on him." "He'll soon be cold." "They're already putting hot-water bottles in his bed," "and I've got his blood." "He has only a little of it left." "He can't puff himself up with that anymore." "It's as I said." "Just calm down, gentlemen." "Make..." "Please make for me..." "Please make a hole in the wall" "for me, so I can flee to the end of the world." "Man is an ugly beast, the foe of all foes," "the most disgusting creature on earth." "It's not good to live within a human body." "I'd rather crouch beneath the earth, run across the fields" "and feed on what I find." "The wind blows, and the rain falls," "and the cold comes and goes." "That's better than living in a human body." "You're almost there." "Keep going!" "Soon the hole will be big enough for me to get out;" "for me to get out of my skin." "Mieze!" "Franz, you have to believe me." "I didn't want to." "He just fell on me and said I should pray." "And suddenly..." "You must believe me, Franz." "Why should I lie to you?" "Please, please, believe me," "Franz!" "Franz!" "Wait!" "Franz!" "Please, please!" "Franz!" "Let me explain." "Franz!" "There sits the great Babylon by the water, the mother of whoring and all horrors on earth." "She sits on a scarlet beast with seven heads and ten horns" "Please, please, please, please!" "Not today." "Keep her away!" "Keep her away!" "She's drunk with the blood of the saints whom she tears apart." "She comes from the abyss and leads to damnation." "Death sings a slow, slow song." "It is time for me to appear before you, for the seeds are flying out of the window, and you shake out your sheet" "as if you would never lie down again." "I am not just a reaper." "I am not just a sower." "What is important is to be here and to safeguard." "Oh, yes." "I stand here and have to record." "The man who lies here, surrendering life and body, is Franz Biberkopf." "Wherever he is, he knows where he's going and what he wants." "Sure, that is a lovely song." "But can you hear it?" "And what does it mean?" "Is it Death singing?" "I want to speak the plain truth, the plain truth." "And this truth is that Franz Biberkopf belongs to Death," "this Death." "He hears him slowly singing, like a stutterer, with constant repetitions, like a saw cutting into wood." "I am here to record, Franz Biberkopf." "You wish to come to me." "You are right, Franz, to come to me." "How can a man thrive if he does not seek out death, true death, real death?" "Your whole life you've been safeguarding yourself." "Safeguarding:" "That's man's fearful desire." "And so everything stays as it is and doesn't move on." "I first spoke to you when Lüders deceived you." "You drank and held yourself guarded." "Your arm was smashed." "Your life was in danger, Franz." "Admit it." "You didn't think of death for a minute." "I sent you everything, but you didn't recognize me." "And when you found out who I was, you ran from me, ever more frantically." "You never thought of surrendering yourself." "And whatever you undertook, you clutched at the idea of strength, and that fixation still hasn't abated." "But it's no use." "You felt it yourself." "It's no use." "There comes the moment when nothing helps." "Death does not sing you a gentle song and put a choking collar around your neck." "I am the life, and the true strength." "At last, at last, I wish to safeguard myself no more." "Greater than the strongest cannon is my might." "You don't want to live free of me in your own right." "You want to experience your own self, put yourself to the test." "Life can't be worthwhile out of my sight." "Come closer to me so that you can see me," "so that you can see how you lie at the bottom of the abyss." "It's so dark," "I can't see a thing." "You just don't want to come closer to me." "Then I shall make light for you." "Then you will find your way." "If you lack courage to come in the dark, I shall make light, that you can better find your way to me." "Franz is screaming." "He's crawling along and screaming." "All night he screams." "Franz is on the march." "He screams into the day." "He screams into the morning." "Swing, drop, hack." "He screams into the noon." "Into the morning." "I think he's thirsty." "Maybe he's not thirsty after all." "Swing, hack, hack." "Swing, swing, hack." "Swing, hack." "He screams into the evening." "Night is coming." "Franz screams into the night." "I'm suffering." "It's good that you suffer." "Nothing could be better than for you to suffer." "Don't let me suffer." "Put an end to it." "Putting an end to it won't help." "Everything comes to an end by itself." "But it's in your hands." "Put an end to it." "All I have is a ball in my hand." "Everything else is in your hands." "What do I have in my hands?" "Put an end to it." "So that's how far things have come." "Here I am talking to you like an oppressor and hangman, and have to throttle you like some venomous, snapping animal." "I kept calling you." "What do you think I am, a phonograph?" "A gramophone you can wind up for fun, and then I have to call." "And when you've had enough, you turn me off?" "Is that what you think I am?" "Think what you like." "But now you see that things are different." "What have I done?" "Haven't I tortured myself enough?" "I don't know anyone who's suffered like me, so pitifully," "so wretchedly." "You were never here, you swine." "All my life, I never saw any Franz Biberkopf." "And when I sent Lüders to you, you didn't open your eyes." "You weren't folded up like a pocket knife." "You were boozing:" "One schnapps after another." "Nothing but boozing." "I wanted to be clean." "Clean." "But he deceived me." "And I tell you you didn't open your eyes, you crooked swine." "You go on about crooks and swindling, but you don't even look at people." "You don't ask why, and how come." "How can you be such a judge of people when you don't have any eyes?" "You were blind and cocky to boot." "Stuck-up Mr. Biberkopf from the posh neighborhood." "And the world should be as he wants it." "It's all quite different, my boy, quite different." "Now you can see it." "It couldn't care less about you, the world couldn't." "When Reinhold seized you and threw you under the car, you didn't even pass out." "Our Franz Biberkopf didn't even pass out." "And while he's still under the wheels, he swears he'll be strong." "Doesn't say to himself, "Think it over." "Keep your wits about you,"" "No, he says, "I want to be strong,"" "You don't want to know I'm talking to you." "But now you hear me, don't you?" "Didn't notice?" "Why?" "What, then?" "And not least Mieze, Franz." "Shame on you" "Say it, "It's shameful!" Shout it out loud, "Shameful!"" "I can't." "I don't know why." "Shout it out loud, "Shameful!"" "She came to you, gave you affection, protected you." "She was happy with you." "And you?" "What was a human being to you?" "A person like a flower?" "You go and brag about her to Reinhold." "There before you, the height of feeling." "But you just want to be strong." "You're happy you can spar with Reinhold, that you're better than he is." "And you use her to provoke him." "Just think about it, whether it's not your fault she's not alive." "You didn't shed a tear for her." "The girl died for you." "For who else?" "You just babbled on, "I this, and I that and what injustices I've suffered..." "How noble I am and fine," And "People won't let me show what kind of guy I am,"" "Say it, "It's shameful!" Shout it, "Shameful!"" "I don't know." "You've lost the battle." "You're finished." "You can pack up." "Put yourself in mothballs." "You're all washed up." "What a bastard." "You were given a head and a heart, eyes and ears and you'd like to be decent, whatever you call decent." "But you see, hear, and think nothing." "You live without any aim." "One can do what one likes." "What should I do, then?" "What?" "Just tell me what I should do." "I'm not saying a word." "Don't give me that crap!" "You have no head." "You have no ears." "You've never been born." "My God!" "You haven't even come into this world, you freak with your crazy ideas, with your wiseguy ideas." "Pope Biberkopf!" "He still has to be born, so that we can see how things really are." "The world needs different guys, brighter ones who see how things are:" "not made of sugar, but of sugar and dirt and all mixed up together." "But..." "Hand over your heart." "Franz, your heart," "so that you're finished, so I can throw it in the dirt where it belongs." "Let me think it over just a little longer, just a little." "Out with your heart, man." "Just a little." "Your heart," "Franz." "I'll take it myself, your heart." "Get out of this mess!" "What's all this nonsense?" "It just doesn't make sense." "I can't give leave to anyone." "I need every man." "Have I made myself clear?" "I can't give leave to anyone." "I've work to do here." "No hard feelings." "I need every man." "When a guy has the word "death" on his lips, no one can tear it from him." "He'll turn it over in his mouth, and it'll be like a stone, a stony stone." "And no nourishment will grow from it." "In this way, many people have died." "For them, there was no going on." "They didn't know that they had to inflict but a single pain on themselves in order to go on, that only a small step was needed to go on." "But they were unable to take that step." "They didn't know it was just a weakness." "It was a cramp, a few minutes, a few seconds, and already they were gone, to a place where they were no longer called Karl..." "Wilhelm, Minna, Franziska." "Black, pitch black, glowing red with anger and paralyzed with despair, they passed away." "They didn't know that they simply needed to glow white-hot, and they would have become soft, and everything would've been new again." "Oh, God, such a little girl!" "But she'll settle in over there." "She just has to be good, and everything will turn out fine." "Well..." "Everywhere there are apartments where people warm themselves, and look fondly at each other, or sit coldly beside each other." "Dirty little holes and bars, where someone plays the piano." "Old hits usually, but sometimes brand-new ones." "Do you know this one?" "There." "There you are." "Go ahead." "Don't take any notice of me." "Really." "Come on." "Let's drive on." "What did Death say?" "I have to know what Death said." "I know you." "Hello, Lüders." "Yes," "I was just waiting for him." "And he's such a little guy... and shoelaces..." "Sieg Heil!" "Sieg Heil!" "Yeah, that's what he did." "He robbed her, really robbed her." "I'm sitting in the bar, when in comes Lüders." "But when he sees me, he runs straight out again." "Maxie gives me a letter from her." "Everything's explained in it." "So, what happens to me now?" "All of a sudden my legs are chopped off, literally chopped off." ""Why?" I ask myself." "Why?" "Why can't I stand up?" "What's up?" "What's wrong with you suddenly?" "As I said:" ""I can't move my legs anymore,"" "It's just not possible." "They just won't move anymore." "Would you like a cognac, Biberkopf?" "Are you in mourning?" "Yes." "A personal loss?" "It's my legs." "They chopped off my legs." "I don't know..." "Here!" "Didn't you sell hot dogs here once?" "Sure." "That's how we know each other." "But that was ages ago." "But the..." "I mean the..." "Oh, you mean the swastika?" "Yes, I wear it now, and with pride, Mr. Biberkopf." "You wore it, too, back then." "Yes," "I wore it, too, back then." "But didn't you tell me you're Jewish?" "Sure." "But that doesn't mean you have to take the wrong path." "Now I'm on the right one." "Good day, Mr. Biberkopf." "Good morning, Lüders." "How are you?" "Not well at all, actually." "Cheers." "Don't run away." "Come back here." "Sit down on this chair." "Don't go away." "What did I ever do to you?" "Don't go away." "Let the night come, however black and like a void it is." "Let the black night come, the fields on which the stiff frost lies, the highways frozen solid." "Let the lonely brick houses come, from which a rosy light gleams." "Let the freezing wayfarers come, the coachmen on their vegetable carts, rolling into the city, with the horses up front." "The broad, flat, mute plains, across which suburban and express trains run, shedding white light on both sides in the darkness." "Let the people come." "There comes a call Like thunder's roar" "Like the clash of swords Waves dashing on the shore" "Rest easy Dear fatherland of mine" "Rest easy Dear fatherland of mine" "Proud and true stands the watch" "The watch" "On the Rhine" "Proud and true Stands the watch, the watch" "On the Rhine" "Reinhold!" "Reinhold." "Scum!" "Scum!" "Yes, that's what you are." "What do you want here?" "To play the big shot with me?" "No rain could ever wash you clean." "You bum." "You murderer." "You hoodlum." "It's a good thing you turned up." "I missed you." "Yes, come on, you swine." "Haven't they caught you yet?" "Be careful you don't get nabbed." "What's up with you now, Franz?" "What are you?" "I'm not a murderer." "Who introduced me to the girl?" "Who didn't care about her, huh?" "I had to crawl under the covers, big mouth!" "Who was that, then?" "You didn't have to kill her." "What does it matter?" "You almost beat the daylights out of her yourself." "And there was another one, they say, whose name was Ida." "She's buried on Landsberger Allee." "She didn't find her way to the cemetery alone." "How about that?" "You don't say a word." "What does Mr. Franz Biberkopf have to say, big mouth by profession?" "You threw me under the car." "That was you." "So what?" "If you're such a fool as to mess with me." "A fool?" "Haven't you noticed what a fool you are?" "You're in Buch, in the madhouse, and I'm doing fine." "Who's the fool, then?" "Fight with me." "Show me who you are, Franz Biberkopf." "Little Biberboy, huh?" "Why did I get so involved with you?" "Come on!" "Show me who you are." "Do you have the strength." "I should never have fought with you." "Boy, you annoy me." "You keep infuriating me." "You're a curse." "I should never have done it." "I'm no match for you." "I should never have done it." "You need strength, Franz, strength." "Keep away from me." "Keep away." "Away with you." "Keep away." "I want to see someone else." "Can't someone else come?" "Wait." "Someone else is coming right away." "Well, who's in the driver's seat now?" "Who's the winner, Franz?" "I haven't won." "I know that." "I haven't won." "He was the biggest bastard in the world." "Do you hear me?" "He taunted me until I didn't know whether I was coming or going." "That's how he provoked and taunted me." "Ida." "It's good that you've come." "I've had a bad time, you know." "Here I am in Buch in the madhouse." "Do you know where that is?" "Under observation, or maybe I'm crazy already." "Ida." "Come here." "Don't turn your back on me." "What's she doing here?" "She probably works in" "the kitchen." "Yes, the girl works in the kitchen." "She washes the dishes, fusses around everywhere." "Yes, but what makes her buckle up like that?" "She keeps bending to one side, as if she had lumbago." "What's the matter with her?" "She keeps buckling up as if someone were beating her, as if someone were beating her." "Get out of here." "Hey, stop beating her!" "My God, it's inhuman." "Leave the girl alone." "Get out of here!" "Leave the girl alone." "My God, my God, my God!" "Who's beating you like that?" "Stand up straight." "She keeps buckling up." "She can't stand up straight anymore." "Stand straight, my girl." "Ida, for God's sake!" "Turn around and look at me." "Hey!" "Who's beating you so terribly?" "You, Franz." "You beat me to death." "No." "No, I didn't do that." "That was proven in court." "It was just battery." "It wasn't my fault." "Don't say that, Ida." "Yes, you beat me to death." "You beat me to death, Franz." "No!" "Better to be dead right away." "Better off dead right away." "It's unbearable." "Someone should come and beat me to death!" "Let him!" "It wasn't my fault" "I didn't..." "I didn't..." "I didn't know anything about it." "And don't buckle up anymore, Ida." "I sat in Tegel for it." "I've served my sentence." "Come a little closer." "Come a little closer to me." "Give me your..." "But take your gloves off, Mieze." "Sit down with me a while." "Don't be so aloof, Mieze." "Give me a kiss." "Stay with me, Mieze." "Stay with me." "I need you." "You've got to help me." "But I can't, Franz," "I'm dead." "You know that." "Don't go, Mieze." "Stay with me." "I'd like to so much, but I can't." "You know..." "Freienwalde." "You're not mad at me, are you?" "Don't be mad at me, Franz." "Let us extol what the pain does to Franz Biberkopf." "Let us speak of the destruction pain causes:" "Breaking off, cutting down, casting down, disintegrating." "That's what it does." "To everything there is a season:" "A time to choke and to heal, to break down and build up, to weep and laugh, to lament and dance, to seek and lose, to tear apart and fasten together." "Now is the time to choke, to lament, to seek and tear apart." "Franz struggles as he waits for Death, for a merciful death." "He thinks that Death, the merciful, the terminating, is now approaching." "At this evening hour, Franz Biberkopf died, former transport worker, burglar, pimp, killer." "Another man lay in the bed in which he had lain." "The other man has the same papers as Franz." "He looks like Franz, but in another world he has another name." "That, then, was the demise of Franz Biberkopf, whom I wished to describe from his release from Tegel Prison to his death in the Buch Mental Asylum in the winter of 1928-29." "Now I'll add a report about the first hours and days of a new man who has the same papers as he did." "All new beginnings are hard achieved." "Dear Fatherland, rest easy now." "My eyes are open." "I won't allow myself to be deceived." "The whore Babylon has lost." "She bickered, made an uproar, blathered and screamed, "What do you want with him?" "What do you want with this guy, Franz Biberkopf?"" ""Boil him till he's savory!"" "Death beats his drum roll." ""I can't see what you've got in your mug, you hyena," he said." ""I have Franz Biberkopf here." "I've shattered him." "But because he's strong and sound, he will have a new life,"" "Then Death moved, and his huge gray cloak flapped." "There were shouts, shots, sounds of triumph, and rejoicing about Death." "The river and the marching legions:" "the legions marched in icy cold and wind." "They have come across from France, led by the great Napoleon." "The wind blows, snow whirls, bullets whistle." "The beast beneath the white snow shies and lashes out." "The victim is Death" "The rolling of trains, the roar of cannon, the explosion of hand grenades, a barrage of fire, 'Rest easy, dear fatherland." "Rest easy, dear fatherland,'" "The dugouts inundated, the soldiers buried." "Death rolls up his cloak and sings, "Oh, yes." "March on, march on!"" ""Off to war with dauntless step we go, 100 drummers marching with us too." "Sunset, sunrise, light the way to our demise." "A hundred drummers drum:" "If we don't go straight ahead, we err around instead." "And Death rolls up his cloak and sings, 'Oh, yes, oh, yes,'" "Off to war with dauntless step we go, a hundred drummers marching with us too." "A hundred drummers drum:" "You know the way or go astray." "One lies there, another drops,"" ""One runs on, another stops." "Marching si- abreast, two or three abreast." "So marches the French Revolution, so the Russian Revolution, the Peasant Wars, the Anabaptists." "They all march behind Death." "There is rejoicing in his wake." "Onward to freedom!" "To freedom!" "Brothers, onward to the sun, to freedom, brothers, to the light above!"" ""Death rolls up his cloak, sings and laughs, 'Oh, yes, oh, yes,'"" ""Oh, yes, oh, yes,"" ""And the field roars, 'Oh, yes, oh, yes!" "'"" "A chicken consists of the outside and the inside." "Remove the outside, and the inside remains." "Remove the inside, and the soul remains." "Mr. Biberkopf, after the death of your mistress, Emilie Karsunke, you were mentally ill." "However, according to the reports, you are now fully recovered and fit to be questioned." "The deceased, whom you apparently called Mieze:" "in your opinion, did she have a relationship with the accused?" "Well, you know, we were good friends, the" "accused and me." "But he had a terrible, unnatural craving for women." "And so it happened." "Do you mean he was something like a sadist?" "Is that what you're trying to say?" "Whether he was a sadist by nature," "I don't know, of course." "I imagine that Mieze..." "That she resisted Reinhold in Freienwalde and then... then... then he did it in rage." "You know about his youth?" "No, your honor." "I didn't know him then." "And he didn't tell you anything?" "Did he drink?" "Well, it's like this, he used to not drink, but he started to recently." "I don't know how much." "In the past, he could hardly take a drop of beer:" "just lemonade and coffee." "Herbert's been nabbed." "He got two years in jail." "They certified me as nuts." "Yeah, I read about it in the paper." "Paragraph 51." "But I'm weak, Eva." "After all prison food is prison food." "The little one in your belly, it is no longer?" "The accused, Gottfried Meck, is herewith acquitted of the charge of complicity in the murder of Emilie Karsunke." "The accused, Reinhold Hoffmann, is sentenced to 10 years in prison for the manslaughter of the prostitute Emilie Karsunke." "No!" "Murderer!" "The court's finding is manslaughter committed in the heat of passion." "I will now read the grounds for the judgment." "He's an assistant gatekeeper in a factory." "What kind of fate is that?" "Immediately after the trial," "Biberkopf is offered a job as an assistant gatekeeper in a factory." "He accepts it." "There is nothing further to report about his life here." "A thing may be stronger than I am." "When there are two of us, it's more difficult to be stronger than I am." "If there are ten of us, even more difficult." "If there are a thousand of us or a million, then it's really difficult." "But it's also nicer and better to be with others." "Then I sense and know everything much more certainly." "A ship is not firmly moored without a big anchor, and a man cannot exist without many other people." "What is true and what is false" "I shall know better now." "Dear fatherland, you can rest easy now." "I'll keep my eyes open and not allow myself to be deceived." "That's why I check everything." "And when the time's ripe, and I'm good and ready," "I'll act accordingly." "Man is given reason and words," "while o-en stand around in herds." "Biberkopf does his job as an assistant gateman, collects the numbers, checks the cars, watches who goes in and out." "Be alert." "There's something going on in the world." "All is not sweet in the world." "If they drop gas bombs, I'll suffocate." "No one knows why they dropped them, but you don't have to know." "There was time to take care of things like that." "If there's a war, and they draft him, though he doesn't know why, and the war goes on anyway, then that's his fault;" "and it serves him right." "Be alert." "Be alert." "One is not alone." "Hail and rain may fall from the sky." "There's nothing you can do about it, but about a lot of other things you can." "He won't shout as he used to do:" ""It's fate, fate!"" "You don't have to revere it as fate." "You must look it in the face, grasp it and destroy it." "Be alert." "Keep your eyes open." "Watch out." "A thousand people belong together." "Anyone who doesn't take care, will be a laughing stock" "or will be cut down." "The drum rolls behind him." "March on!" "March on!" "Off to war sure footedly we go, a hundred drummers with us too." "Sunset, sunrise light the way to our demise." "Biberkopf is a minor employee." "We know what we know." "We had to pay dearly for that knowledge." "The End"