"Peter, where are they now?" "What's he doing?" "How should I know?" "Besides, what could he" "Greta!" "You shouldn't have screamed, my dove." "Oh, shut up!" "Peter, they're gone!" "Thank God our technical progress is not so perfect that things don't occasionally go wrong." "If the lights had not gone out tonight," "I wouldn't have had you to myself, even for a second." "But I'm sorry that your mother was frightened." "My mother's easily frightened by everything." "But my father, there's a man who gets happier as the day goes on." "By evening" "Ah, yes." "Yes." "And you..." "what are you like?" "Me?" "I don't know." "I really don't." "All I know is that I'm just happy right now, that I could laugh with joy." "And tomorrow... what will you be like?" "Oh, tomorrow?" "Tomorrow I'll probably be sad." "Then let me come and see you tomorrow because I want you to stay happy." "You're so beautiful, Greta." "And you." "No, no." "How long have you had it?" "What?" "The beard!" "Oh, since the war- only since the war." "You never shaved it off?" "No, never have." "Never will." "Not even for me?" " Why, don't you like it?" " I like it!" "I just wonder what you look like without it." "Oh, horrible, horrible." "Even my own mother" "Well, I was in this... air fight and I was shot down by the Russians, and the plane crashed and burst into flames, and I was a little slow getting out." "Scar tissue and some strange chemical reaction and..." "I can't shave, and that's why I have this ridiculous color." "Oh, I love it." "I really do." "Does it tickle?" "Why don't we find out?" "Why does- does it look at me like that?" "Why did it attack me?" "It was my mother's cat." "And now it's jealous." "But it must not be." "My baby!" "What happened?" "What has he done to you?" "It's nothing, Mother." "Your daughter is of such beauty that even the flowers and animals are jealous of her." "Come, we're going home!" "Where's your father?" "Baron, if you don't mind, some important business." "Are you enjoying the party?" "Oh, Baron, out here things are always wonderful, but in the cities where we have to live" "Don't forget, tomorrow as happy as tonight." "Come on!" "First the steel workers, now the textile workers." "The strike's lasted a week now!" "Who knows where it will end." "We could whip them in a fair fight." "But they've behaved like cowards." "Infiltrate the workers." "Order's what we need." "Law and order." "You should hear them talking about unions, production reports, their right to a share of" "Men who can't tell wine from champagne." "The trouble is, my dear Baron, that some Bolshevik ideas have managed to get through even to the fathers." "Order's what we need!" "Order!" "What we really need is a man like you." "Everyone respects you." "You are a war hero." "They know you're a brave man with no axe to grind." "You could straighten out the whole problem." "Order's what we need." "Law and order." "Perhaps if you spoke to them and reminded them that they must show respect for the law, respect for traditions." "Speak to them?" "Let's not lose our heads, my dear fellows." "I don't think that speaking to them is what's called for." "One must find the correct solution to each problem." "They are coming!" "Even our lord bows down before your beauty, my darling." "Darling?" "Darling?" "Darling, please come on." "It's our second anniversary." "The guests expect a great hunt." "After all the due ascertainment demanded by the law, this office declares that the death of the Baroness Greta Von Sepper, resident of this district, was caused by a tragic hunting error." "And therefore, the Von Sepper case is officially closed." "We authorize the internment of the above mentioned Baroness Von Sepper." "I'll get it." "I hope I do not disturb you." "I merely wish to thank you for the happiness your performance brought us tonight." "And to think, we were afraid Europe might be too serious, too refined, for our silly American" "On the contrary." "Culture always bows before grace and beauty." "Well, please forgive me, it's just that I'm at a loss for words." "Such a lovely compliment, I could listen all night." "Please, carry on." "Delighted." "Will you dine tonight with me?" "Oh, thank you sir." "Oh, uh, may I accept immediately?" "Or must I first know your name?" "What are the rules of the game here in Europe?" "Since the war, there have been no rules in Europe." "You may accept immediately." "Either the wind or an indiscreet admirer." "It's not always glamorous, often just squalor." "Shabby rooms in shabby hotels." "Cold dressing rooms." "But the life is really interesting- dull and fascinating at the same time." "Do you always live here?" "No, sometimes I travel, but I much prefer to be here on my own land." "And I have my pets, my photographs, and Marka, the mute, of course." "Strange old woman." "She's like one of the stones around here." "She's always been here, so there's no reason to get upset if you bump into her." "You like being alone?" "That was a stupid question, wasn't it?" "How could anyone feel lonely in a place like this?" "So full of beautiful things." "Oh, I love the castle." "I love the park, the woods, these curtains, these walls, furniture." "I even like these strange photographs." "And me." "Do you like me?" "Of course." "You're rich, handsome, and powerful." "But do you love me?" "I do think you're rushing me a little." "But if you insist." "Can the bride make a toast?" "Of course!" "To the most wonderful man I've ever known." "To all of his friends, and to me because I'm so happy tonight." "Hear, hear!" "Gentlemen, I'm amazed." "Men who have fought in the war, in the trenches, who have faced machine guns, bombs, even communists." "The ladies' reactions I can understand, but the gentlemen's" "It bothers you, darling." "Nothing in this house must ever bother you." "Forgive me, darling." "I just can't keep my eyes open." "I drank too much." "Darling." "No, hold it." "Hold it." "That's perfect." "You are a man of iron." "Come here." "Darling, darling," "I have to get a fresh roll of film." "Now you hold that, that's perfect like that." "I'll only be a few minutes." "Don't move!" "I can see her now." "Always surrounded by smoking pots, like a witch in a fairy tale." "She was always making jam, and I was always wanting to taste the jam, and generally making a nuisance of myself." "But she would throw her eyes to heaven, and then she would hug me and laugh when I told her she made the finest jam in the entire world, and that one day a prince would come along and taste her jam and carry her off to a castle of solid gold." "She was my nurse, my playmate," "my everything." "My mother loved Marka, too." "In my mind, I always see them together." "They dressed me, they fed me." "They gave me everything I wanted." "They even laughed when I broke something." "And your father?" "I don't remember him at all." "Nothing that belonged to him remains." "Ah, your fever is down." "But you still have to rest for a few days." "Darling, I'm sorry about Marka." "I'm afraid I hadn't realized that she was" "However, it will not happen again." "My mother's body's been put back in the crypt, and we will arrange for Marka to be taken away somewhere" "Please don't let them hurt her." "She needs help." "Oh, don't worry about it, darling." "Think of it as a bad dream." "The important thing is that you become healthy again and that you're happy again." "Yes, I want to be so very healthy." "And to be with you, and to get to know everything about you and the castle, too." "I want to make it more alive, more joyful." "Would you be terribly angry if I changed a few things?" "Oh, no, darling!" "Not at all." "The castle is yours, utterly." "But you will need somebody to help you, and when I come back from Vienna, I will bring a" "From Vienna?" "You're going away?" "Yes, darling." "Oh, no, please." "I don't want to be alone." "I can't." "Darling, don't worry!" "I don't leave until Thursday, and I will find you a companion to look after you." "Look, there is something else I have to show you." "I hope you like it because it is American, like you." "So?" "It's beautiful!" "Thank you." "But I can't talk to it." "Good day, Madame Baroness." "And good day to you, Mr. Baron." "Holy virgin." "What's the matter, Rosa?" "But the Madame is so white." "Is she really American?" "I'm sorry to say, there are a great many black Americans." "What do you really think of your mistress, Rosa?" "She's so beautiful." "Well, you're beautiful too, Rosa." "No, I'm a fat duck." "A different hairdo, a few less pounds" "Well, I'm afraid you'll never change our Rosa into a Gloria Swanson." "However, there's no harm in trying." "I will see you later, darling." "I have things to do at dinner." "I could myself for having made such a production of it." "Seems sort of strange that your husband never really suspected anything before now." "He just couldn't see what was going on." "You know, when someone's been around for years." "The main thing is that it's all over now." "Marka's gone, and now I have Rosa, and it makes me happy just to look at her." "Do you remember Chicago?" "We didn't work for weeks." "And you tried to convince me you weren't hungry." "You're drinking too much, Anne." "It can fool your Baron, but not me." "What's going on?" "I never try to find comfort in friends." "All you get is the truth." "All right, so I'm not as happy as I should be." "And you want to know why?" "Because my marriage..." "Okay, on my wedding night I was too sleepy." "Then came the shock, my nervous breakdown, and so we still haven't been in bed together." "Do you understand?" "Then, uh... there's still time for you to leave him and come back to the stage with me." "No, on the contrary." "He's a wonderful man." "So sweet, so patient." "He knows how to wait without even giving me a guilty conscience." "I'd wonder about that." "But then, I'm the suspicious type." "I mean..." "I'm hardly the one to give the right answers, Anne." "I know, I'm sorry." "I'm thoughtless as usual." "But I had to talk to someone." "You can always count on me." "You know that." "There's nearly always." "I'll be leaving soon, Anne." "Leaving?" "Yeah." "I have to get back to the States to... find a new partner." "I was afraid there'd be tears." "Why don't we say good-bye right here and now." "You know, the brave soldier bit, the smart salute." "The whole bag." "No, I'll go to the door with you." "It has to be done right, even the good-bye kiss." "You'll remember, no thanks, just a yankee dime." "What's the matter, Anne?" "Look closely at this one." "What do you see?" "Nothing." "I don't mean to knock your husband's work, but..." "I can't stand this type of" "Just a second, you'll see." "Watch." "Aw, come on, Anne." "If you want to let your imagination go, you'll probably find a face in any one of these drawings." "Maybe you're right." "Maybe there really are ghosts in this castle." "I'll keep in touch." "You'll always know where to find me." "I don't even want to think about it." "You promise to come back before you" "Well, now." "Oh, darling!" "We were just looking for you." "Sergio wanted to say hello." " Hello." " Hello." "I've just been down in the cellars controlling the new wines." "Very interesting, rather like watching a child being born." "I'd like your opinion" "I'm afraid my opinion on wine is worthless." "Besides, I must be getting back to town." "Oh, well, I'm going back to town, too, so you can come with me." "First of all, I'd like to get to know my wife's best friend a little better." "Strange." "What does it remind you of?" "My sweet very red wine!" "The only kind I love." "It's a good honest wine." "But Anne, for some reason, now prefers champagne." "Don't you, Anne?" "Do you know I finally managed to get his trust?" "It's not easy to be near you and not love you." "I wonder why he's crying." "Probably a mouse." "Or a ghost." "No, no ghost." "We don't have ghosts in the castle anymore." "We got rid of them all." "Didn't we, Anne?" "Come, Sergio." "Let's get you back to your hotel." " Good-bye, Sergio." " Bye." "Oh, darling." "I, uh... forgot to give you the keys to the castle." "I know you want to get acquainted with it." "You can go anywhere you like." "But... don't use that key." "Don't use that one." "All right." "Come on, Rosa!" " Oh, Rosa!" "Look at that one." " Oh, yes!" "Oh, so beautiful!" "And look at the train." "And the sleeves." "Oh, I've got to put it on." "Holy virgin, I forgot them." "Hurry, Rosa." "Get back before dark." "Oh, I will." "It's just medicine to buy." "I'll be back in an hour." "Anne, darling?" "What is it?" "What's the matter?" "Calm down, please." "Anne, please." "I called to give you news of Rosie." "She's had an accident, nothing serious." "She- she'll be in the hospital for a day or two." "Anne, please." "Anne." "Here at the castle... in the trees... the cat- it was horrible!" "Marka." "Must be Marka." "Marka?" "She escaped, they told me here in town." "Someone saw her near the castle." "Oh, Anne, if only you knew how guilty" "I feel about leaving you." "Please, don't cry." "Please." "Now, where is my tough, young American wife, who wasn't afraid of anything or anybody?" "It's just that so many things have happened, and I feel so alone!" "Just pretend I'm there next to you." "You can feel my touch on your hair, my-my kiss on your lips." "My beard is even scratching your face." "Good girl." "That's better." "I won't even go to Vienna, all right?" "I'll be home tomorrow." " Oh!" " Darling." "I meant to surprise you, darling." "And I frightened you instead, I'm so sorry." "I hadn't realized you had so exciting a day." "Sit down." "Now I'm here, and here I mean to stay." "So, no more of this spooky nonsense." "Now, what does a good American housewife do when her tired husband comes home from the storm?" "She makes him a drink, no?" "Okay." "Bring it to my studio." "I took some photographs and I'm anxious to see if some certain effects came out." "2, 7, 2, 7." "Hello?" "Oh, Sergio." "Thank God you're there." "I beg you, come as quickly as possible." "Hello?" "Hello?" "Darling, I'm thirsty." "Hurry up with the drink, please." "There's a small hidden camera inside." "When the door is opened, it automatically takes a photograph." "I'm sorry." "You should have never used that golden key." "I'm sorry." "I love you, Anne." "I really do." "Probably more than any other woman" "I ever loved." "You know that, don't you?" "But I... have to kill you, Anne." "Like all the others." "I have to kill you." "You must not be afraid of me." "I love you too much." "I won't talk, I promise." "Trust me." "But you saw them." "I would never trust you not to tell." "I must kill you." "I must kill you!" "Forgive me, Anne, my dear." "Why did you do that?" "Why did you use the key?" "So I made a small mistake." "But is my sin as great as theirs?" " Theirs?" " Those-those women up there!" "Why did they- why did you kill them?" "Why- why else?" "They deserved to die." "Oh, naturally, I'm sure of that." "But- but what did they do?" "I mean, you're so good, so kind." "I've never known you to do anything without reason." "It must have been their fault" "Yes, they... they forced me to it." "I didn't want to kill them." "They forced me to it." "Damn." "Damn them all!" "Damn them!" "I'm forever blowing bubbles," "Pretty bubbles in the air," "They fly so high nearly reach the sky," "Then, like my dreams they fade and die." "You're the cream in my coffee," "You're the salt in my stew," "You will always be my" "No, not here my love." "Not here." "Take me wherever you want me, but not here!" "I can't swim!" "You're the sail of my love boat," "Who stole my heart away?" "Who makes me dream all day?" "Dreams I know can never come true," "Seems as though I'll ever be blue," "Who means my happiness?" "Who would I answer yes to?" "Well, you ought to guess who," "No one but you," "Beyond the blue horizon," "Waits a beautiful day," "Good-bye to things," "That bore me," "Joy is waiting," "For me," "I see a new horizon," "My life has barely begun," "Beyond the blue horizon," "You're driving me crazy," "What did I do?" "What did I do?" "My tears for you," "Make everything hazy," "Clouding my skies," "Of- it's you, yes, you, yes, you," "Someday when I'm awfully low," "Someday when I'm awfully low," "When the wor..." "My love." "You're my sheik of Araby," "Your love belongs to me," "At night when you're asleep," "Into your..." "Oh, do, do, do," "What you done, done, done before... baby" "Oh, do, do, do," "What I really do adore, baby" "Lover!" "Lover, when I'm near you," "And I hear you speak my name," "Softly in my ear," "You breathe a flame," " lover" " Boo." "Oh, lover." "When I'm near you," "Oh, yes, yes, yes." "Oh, my lover." "Oh, yes, yes." "I want you." "I want you, take me." "Oh, yes." "Yes, yes." "How else could I shut her up?" "Those who are about to die..." "Shall we eat?" "Eat?" "I thought I'd surprise you with an old American dessert." "Jell-O." "It's in the... refrigerator." "Ah, refrigerator." "You have a marvelous sense of humor, Anne." "I appreciate that, I really do." "It's such a shame" "I know, I know." "Don't keep telling me." "Shall we dine?" "Why not?" "It will be the last piece of pudding we shall eat together." "Oh, don't think about it, darling." "It might spoil your appetite." "It's delicious." "It's almost as good as Marka's jam." "You would have made a marvelous wife." "I really hate" "Oh, don't be morbid, dear." "By the way, have you ever told anyone," "I mean, about those women in there?" "You think that's the kind of thing" "I should go around telling people?" "Well, I mean to someone you can trust, like your priest, or me, for instance." "Why?" "What would be the point?" "Oh, I don't know, it- it might give you a better understanding of why you did it." "You know, analyze their defects." "I know their defects, they were monsters." "They only began to look human when they were dead." "Perhaps that's why I killed them." "To make them... human?" "Yes... to make them human." "Something one could love." "They were liars, depraved." "I could not let them live." "At first sight, they looked like normal women." "They dressed like normal women." "Sometimes even better than normal women." "Do you like it?" "It's only a bauble, Erika." "But where can one find anything as beautiful as you?" "Sure you don't want something to eat?" "No, food bores me." "It's a question of lack of habit." "My work, you know." "And then music can be sweet nourishment, too, don't you think?" "Kurt, what on earth are you doing?" "I'm so sorry, Erika." "Somebody must have touched it with a cigarette as he passed." "You might have burned yourself." "I'm sorry about your stole." "I would be delighted to replace it." "Oh, don't worry about it." "I have five more just like it." "I see." "Good night." "As you wish." "May I see you to your door?" "No thanks." "I don't like good-byes on the top step." " Why not?" " Good night." "May I get in touch with you tomorrow?" "I'll call you." "And please, don't send me flowers." "I detest them." "And don't come to look for me." "I'll get in touch with you, I promise." " Good night." " Good night." "Good night." "Good night." "Erika!" "You should live in as beautiful a place as you are." "Look at me." "What are you frightened of?" "." "Look at me." "You don't need all that paraphernalia." "You're beautiful as you are." "Perhaps even more beautiful." "The pendant, I sold it." "I had to pay the Italia for the stole." "It was theirs." "I'll get you another one, despite the fact that you have five others just like it." "You knew right away that I was bluffing." "Of course, of course." "But I had no idea that, in the end, the change would be so total." "I prefer you this way." "From now on, I want you to be yourself." "I never dreamed it would be such a disaster when I told her to be herself." "I was trying to read the newspaper, darling." "Daddy doesn't read now." "Daddy plays with Erika." "Daddy eats with Erika." "Come on, take a little bite here." "Where your baby put her tiddy-widdys." "You love your baby?" "How many heaps of love, Daddy?" "Oh, I feel so good, darling, so very good." "For the first time in my life." "And who is responsible for that?" "You, my sweet, holy, golden, little lover." "Some grapes?" "Some prissy little grapies from your loving baby?" "They're good, you know." "Want one from my mouthy wouthy?" "Did you like the mouthy wouthy?" "Know what it's called?" "It's called Little Red Riding Hood." "Now, I have a little surprise for you." " Oh, yes?" " A nice one." " Like it?" " Oh, y-yes." "Want to kiss it?" " It's name is Jasmine." " Oh." " Pretty name, isn't it?" " Yes, yes." "But I can't let you." "Because Sicumin will get jealous." "Who?" " Sicumin." " Oh, Si-oh, yes." "Which do you like better, Sicumin or Jasmine?" "Tell me, which do you like better, Sicumin or Jasmine?" "Here, choose one." "But watch out for that scratchy old beard." "They're so delicate." "Erika, please, I" "No, first you have to choose which one you like better." "Well, Sicumin, Jasmine, neither, I mean, either" "Please, Erika!" "Why are you angry?" "They're so pretty." "They're more than pretty." "They're magnificent, they're beautiful." "They're really beautiful, but with Christian names, Erika!" "It's-it's-it's absurd." "I" " I-I can't really put up with that." "Is there anything you'd like?" "Me?" "Yes." "What's your name?" "Why?" "What does it matter?" "I want to know you better." "Why?" "You want to marry me?" "What do you want, really?" "I would like some lessons." "Lessons?" "Yes, professional lessons." "Oh, I understand." "He doesn't function, eh?" "No, it's not him, it's me." "I'm too inexperienced, too clumsy." "I'm too something, but I don't seem to have the right approach." "It can't be a serious problem." "It all depends on what you have under that dress and how you use it." "Let's see." "What, now?" "Do I need an appointment?" "Or are you ashamed?" " No." " No, no." "Easy does it." "Do you have a long mirror?" "Of course." "First, the shoes." "Take them off." "No, no." "Slowly, gracefully, like this." "Bravo, excellent." "You're a quick learner." "No, stop." "Are you mad?" "Do just as I tell you." "Now, let's start at the top." "The hair, let it down." "Now the dress." "Slowly, and move slowly, sinuously." "Your body must look like the letter S, but soft, each move a caress." "Very good." "Now a pause." "Never rush this next part." "Open your mouth." "Kiss, very sweetly." "Then, little by little, more passionately." "Act excited." "Little, short sighs." "Then, unsnap your bra." "But he doesn't like my breasts." "When I offered" "Never offer, just show, naturally, as if the bra had come unfastened by itself." "He'll have his eyes closed while you're kissing." "And give a short cry." "Then smile, another kiss." "More passion, more sighs." "Then start working down." "Of course you've already touched him." " Where?" " Where else?" "It is not abnormal." "Wherever you touch will be fine, but do it delicately." "But I must be absolutely sure." "Where is it best to touch him?" "Here... here... and here." "Now kiss his neck, and you're off." "But the stockings." "Woe to the girl who takes them off." "The whole idea is to keep them on." "Just the stockings." "So, you're nude, yet not nude." "Ambiguous." "Almost all, yet not all." "And black stockings, very sheer." "So, I keep them on?" "Until death." "You know, this is fun." "And now, to bed." "Who needs a bed?" "Most romances die in bed." "An armchair, the sofa, the carpet." "That's good enough." "Improvisation." "That's the true secret of making love." "All right, put your clothes back on, and we'll try it again together." "From the beginning and with feeling." "First, the hair." "Now the dress." "Slowly, sinuously." "Slowly, each move a caress." "Open your mouth." "Kiss." "Oh, yes, darling." "Oh, oh, do it." "Do it." "Oh, it's so good this way." "Why haven't I" "Oh, oh, just like that." "Erika!" "No!" "Their vice-ridden bodies, their shameless embraces." "In such cases, only death can lend composure and dignity to the human monster." "You think I am a monster, too, don't you?" "No." "No, I understand." "You mean that?" "You really mean that?" "Oh, darling." "I love you so much, but I have no choice." "But you do have a choice, Kurt." "Here I am." "I can't get away." "You can kill me whenever you want to." "But first, free yourself, please." "At least my death will have served a purpose." "Tell me everything." "I know, I'll put some sugar in your champagne, then you'll talk." "Talk." "What's the use of talk?" "I do not wish to remember things." "I hate people who talk." "I hate them!" "Please, for our orphans." "For our orphans." "Something for our orphans." " Thank you." " Bless you." "Sisters!" "So, our poor, humdrum, commonplace way of life doesn't interest you at all?" "I prefer the way of the Lord." "But the Lord is also served by marriage, by the birth of children." "There are already so many children waiting for a mother's love." "Why do you tempt me from the work of the Lord?" "I, too, am a lord." "That's blasphemous." "But I do see what you mean." "Sometimes you remind me a little of our Savior." "Well, of course, I love you very profoundly." "That must be self-evident to you." "I've been coming here day after day for two months." "I've even spoken to your Mother Superior." "I know, but... what does a person like you see with someone like me?" "You have so many women to choose from." "I have made my choice." "Of course, if I repel you..." "Oh, no, I swear it." "It's me." "You say you want to marry me and you don't really know me." "I believe with all my heart that marriage demands mutual sincerity." "I have been honest with you." "I told you about my wife, who died five years ago." "Yes, but I haven't." "I haven't been honest with you." "I have so many defects." "They hardly show." "Please, don't joke about it." "I'll ask to see you tomorrow." "Perhaps then I can have the strength to confess completely to you." "Yes, but I entered the convent to expiate my sins." "Now, I must tell you everything." "Darling, your past does not interest me at all." "Don't say that." "Happiness cannot be built on lies." "We must be totally sincere with one another." "I'm afraid I'm not as intact as I was when I came into this world." "It's of no importance." "But I must confess you begin to interest me very much." "He was a young boy, French." "I met him at the University of Vienna." "He was intelligent and... nice." "Are you happy?" "Yes." "We shall be married in about two weeks." "It takes so much time" "Oh, so soon?" "Well, then I'll have to hurry." "Hurry?" "Yes, last night I remembered something." "After the French boy, the one I told you about, he had a friend, an Austrian." "Oh, we were shameless, we made love everywhere." "In the fields, on park benches." "Please, darling, I do not wish to hear about it." "Please, don't." "Let's simply have a drink." "Yes, my love." "I was really happy for two months in London." "Then this woman came and took him away." "She was English, too." "Oh, darling." "She was his wife." "Darling, shut your mouth and just kiss me." "No, first, you must hear about the two Italians in Rome." "Two brothers." "We all slept together in the same room." "Of course, the first time was just to forget, but then... he was so kind, so gentle," "so tender, that I ended up falling in love with him." "His name was, uh..." "Christian." "Darling," "Forgive me, I" "You must understand that I have told you more than once that-that you were born the day you came into this castle." "Oh, does that mean you really forgive me?" "Forgive you?" "You were not made to forgive." "You were made to love." "Wait, there was this Hungarian, but I swear to you it only lasted a week." "Oh, yes." "I knew there was another one." "That Greek from Salonica." "I met him in Munich with the three Germans I was with at the time." "Have you quite finished with your vulgar revelations?" "Oh, darling, it's just that I want to be absolutely" "Sincere, Yes, I know." "Sincere." "I don't want to know about your sincerity." "I just want to love you." "I" " I don't care about your sincerity!" "You see?" "I knew you couldn't accept me for what I really am." "Oh, thank you." "Thank you, Jesus, thank you." "Thank you for what?" "It's a miracle." "It's a miracle." "Jesus has reminded me of the last one." "The one I knew was there, but couldn't think of for the life of me." "A Russian, a Communist." "Just for two nights." "A Russian and a Communist?" "Oh, but darling, he was the last, the very last, I swear it." "There weren't anymore." "A Russian and a Communist." "After that I could never- a Communist!" "That was too much." "That was too much!" "But you realize it was a political insult as well as a personal insult against my class, against my blood!" "After that, I could never forgive her." "She had to be punished to the limit of her capacity." "You agree with me, don't you?" "What else could you do?" "Indeed, what else?" "The nightmare is over, and I'm yours, yours sincerely." "Right now, if you like." "Anywhere you like, even here." "Do you think this is the proper place?" "Yes, you're right." "He understand everything, but... perhaps." "Oh, my darling, how perfect, how wonderful!" "Here among the flowers." "Oh, yes, my darling." "Take me, love me." "Show me you forgive me." "Heaven." "Yes, my darling, oh..." "You were hoping that someone was coming to save you, perhaps?" "Kurt, believe me, I won't say a word," "I promise!" "I'll make sure you don't, darling." "Watch." "This is a kind of electric chair." "You Americans can really teach us something about torture devices." "Come here." "Come here." "It kills in exactly 1 and 3/10 of a second, according to the brochure." "And it functions perfectly, as you saw for yourself." "Now, if you'll forgive me, darling," "I will return as soon as I can." "Dear God, let it be Sergio." "Sergio, please." "My dear Baroness, I'm so sorry to hear you are not feeling well." "You're even more beautiful when you're pale, so Aryan!" "She hasn't been out of that chair all day long, have you, darling?" "I'd like to leave it right now." "If one of these gentlemen would be so kind?" "May I help you, madam?" "Why not?" "It would be so good to see you up and around again." "Oh, thank you very much." "But I guess it's better for me to stay where I am." "I'm really not feeling too well." "Can't you go any faster?" "I'll pick you up just after sunrise." "Ah, but the train from Berlin arrives at 7:00, and Herr Heinrich has a personal message to you from our leader." "Good, good, well, don't worry," "I'm an early riser, good night." "My wife Anne is leaving for Italy tomorrow." "I'm sending her to Venice, which I think is an ideal place for convalescence, don't you?" "Isn't it a little risky?" "Awoman as beautiful as your wife alone with Italians?" "They're a bad lot, all sexual maniacs." "Ah, well, I shall be with her in a few days." "Good night." "Kurt, please!" "Oh, darling, I'm so sorry." "I would not hurt you for the world." "I'd laugh if it didn't hurt so much." "I don't know how a formidable figure like you can manage to look so like a naughty little boy." "But that's why a woman falls in love with a man, I guess." "For his weakness as well as his strength." "For his sickness" "Sickness?" "Why do you talk about sickness?" "I am perfectly healthy." "Shall we discuss that, darling?" "Your health, I mean." "Not your sickness." "You don't mind, do you?" "There's still time?" "Yes, yes," "There is still time." "Still time." "You have until dawn." "Till dawn." "Dawn." "What a beautiful word, but what ugly connotations." "Hanged at dawn, shot at dawn." "Anne, please, please." "I'm sorry, I forgot one of your weaknesses." "Now, where were we?" "Oh, yes, we were talking about you." "But to know all about you," "I must know more about all those people in there." "There was this woman." "Dark, a beautiful face, but stern." "Ah, with her hair drawn back tightly to her neck?" "Yeah, that's the one." "Who was she?" "Yes, that was a Brigitt." "Her name was Brigitt." "An Austrian, she came from the city of Linz." "That's Hitler's city." "That was the only good thing about her." "We must rebel against the tyranny of the male!" "We must find our dignity as individuals." "And we must exclude the male sex- ...from our vital environment." "From a certain point of view, she was a most extraordinary woman." "She didn't seem interested in a sexual relationship at all, she hated men." "It was like a challenge to a duel." "The only fault she had was that weakness for red wine." "All the time, all day long, she got drunk and couldn't control what she said, and when she fell asleep she-she snored." "You're of some use after all." "You make an excellent wine." "So-called female weakness is a male invention." "A racist invention." "Determined by the struggle for economic power." "You men have enslaved women for centuries." "To avoid competition on the political and social levels." "But all that is ending now." "Women have finally awakened." "Why don't you stop drinking, or at least try to control yourself!" "Why should I?" "To make the big man happy?" "What do you think?" "Just because you have a growth between your legs you can tell me what to do and what not to do." "I drink all I want!" "To your ugly face!" "You pig..." "You dirty pig!" "I'll take care of you and your damned growth!" "You" "My God..." "What's happening to me?" "It's wonderful." "Hit me again." "Hit me again, please." "No, not my face." "Anywhere, anywhere, but not my face." "I must stay beautiful for you." "Don't stop it." "No, darling, you are what a man should be." "I am nothing, nothing compared to you." "Yes, flog me!" "Yes, flog me!" "And me?" "How will you kill me?" "I do not know yet." "But whatever I do," "I will try not to make you suffer," "Anne, my darling, I assure you of that." "Oh, Anne, if only I didn't have to kill you." "If only there was some way to avoid it." "I have an idea" "Anne, please, don't be so insistent." "Who's insisting?" "How much time have I left?" "Till dawn, if you wish." "Wish?" "Oh, I wish." "May I have something to drink?" "Of course." "Or after the episode with that poor creature, will it upset you too much?" "Oh, Anne, don't be absurd." "You are not like the others." "Besides, champagne is not a vulgar wine like that coarse tavern stuff." "You know, I feel much better." "That idea of yours, of making me talk, emptying my memory, was a splendid one." "I feel freer, more serene." "Come and sit down, darling." "Now, listen to me." "There was one other, remember?" "Young, little more than a child, but a monster like the others." "I met her at an exhibition of modern art." "A decadent Jewish exhibition." "To this day, I do not know where she came from." "She sprang at me out of nowhere..." "You really like that mess?" " Yes." " Why?" "Because I like it." "Well, that's a good enough explanation." "Would you like to have a drink with me?" "Why not?" "Good, good." "What's your name?" "Kurt Von Sepper, and yours?" "Caroline." "Would you like to visit my castle?" "Why not?" "She seldom spoke." "she seemed indifferent to everything." "She only wanted to live and to play like-like an animal." "I won." "I beat you." "Get me the glass of milk I won." "You're blocking the sun." "Sorry." "She was as lazy as a cat." "She was interested in nothing." "She was just like a stone." "A happy stone in the sunshine." "A stone is just a stone." "I tried to give her some soul, to wake her up." "It's ridiculous." "Absolutely ridiculous." "You did it because you were jealous." "I'm sorry." "If you wanted to make love, all you had to do was ask." "Come." "Strike." "Strike!" "Strike, strike, strike!" "I suppose you think I should have let her go." "That's your business." "I don't care to discuss it." "Have you turned against me, too, Anne?" "I'm not against anyone." "I've got my own problems." "And you're a liar." "I, a liar?" "You, a liar." "You knew all about Marka combing your mother's hair." "As you said, that was my own business." "And besides, my mother enjoyed having her hair combed." "Kurt, please!" "Call off the dogs!" "Don't worry, darling." "He won't hurt you." "I do not understand, darling, why your friend did not stay in his hotel room and mind his own business." "A man should know his own limits, don't you agree?" "I had to take care of Marka, too." "After so many years of loyalty, suddenly she was going to betray me." "She had become fond of you." "She wanted to warn you, to tell you the truth." "She even wrote you a letter." "Ungrammatical, of course, she was illiterate." "But with that letter, she signed the death warrant of the only thing she really loved:" "the old white cat." "Another lover of yours." "But in the end, it would have led you to the vat where old Marka lies fermenting along with all the must." "I feel sorry for your friend." "It costs a fortune to come from the city to here by taxi." "Pity that you spoiled it, darling." "It was my favorite." "Why does everyone want to hurt me?" "It's the only way to express gratitude to a man like you." "Anne, why do you insult me?" "You're a monster!" "You make me shudder." "You have a small, nasty soul." "You're a monster, a sadist!" "And you're a whore!" "You are worse than the others because you talk of love!" "I pitied you." "But not now." "Now I feel only hate." "Just like the others." "No, the others loved you in their own way." "Even if just for your money or your name or for this castle." "But I despise you!" "Not for long, darling." "Not for long." "You know why you're killing me, don't you?" "And why you killed all the others?" "They were monsters." "No, they were just women." "Their only fault was that they wanted a little love, and you weren't able to give it to them, were you?" "It all adds up now." "I wondered why you never came to bed with me." "You were sick." "You were ill." "Not always." "And they?" "Were they ill?" "Think back on what you've told me." "In every case, every case, you killed them at the very moment when they tried to give themselves to you." "All of them." "No, no, not all of them." "Not Greta, I did not kill Greta." "Oh, yes, Greta, too." "Think hard." "Try to remember." "Greta, too." "Oh, it's lovely!" "Oh, it's so nice." "Oh, darling, it's a perfect place for a honeymoon." "Darling, close the door." "Oh, darling, I'm all thumbs." "Please, help me." "Oh, Kurt!" "There are bound to be nervous disorders when one has had the wartime experiences of the baron." "Your husband, Baroness, needs rest and quiet, like all heroes." "Oh, darling, I'll make you well." "Feeling better today, darling?" "Yes, thank you, a little." "I can hardly wait for you to get really healthy." "I dream about us making love every night now." "I don't like being a virgin wife." "Last night again, darling." "It's always the same dream." "It's wonderful, but then" "I'm sure it's nothing like the real thing, is it?" "Feeling better today, darling?" "Yes, thank you, a little better, but still not strictly up to par." "Don't worry, darling." "I can wait." "In the meantime, I'll just keep dreaming." "They say there is no better aphrodisiac than caviar." "Aphrodisiac?" "They're merely fish eggs, my dear." " Kurt?" " Yes?" "I'm fed up with being an undeflowered wife." "I'm coming to bed." "Well, I don't think I'm really well enough yet." "I'll make you well enough, darling." "That should do it." "Hold this." "Well, I know my mother didn't tell me everything, but this I don't believe." "I told you, darling, that I'm still not completely well." "If you can't get over a nervous breakdown in two years, you'll never get over it." "Oh, darling, forgive me." "I know it can't be so." "Oh, darling, I'm afraid it's no use." "You don't have to show that attitude." "It may mean nothing to you, but it means a great deal to me." "I'm terribly sorry, darling, but I'm afraid you simply have to learn to live with it." "Live with it?" "Me?" "Are you mad?" "Do you think it's just because you're a hero?" "I don't give a damn about heroes." "I want the man:" "M-A-N." "If you're not one, I'll go out and find one." "I need one, do you understand?" "And right away, even if I have to cause a scandal or get a divorce." "Well, there's the truth at last." "You did kill her." "It's the only thing you know how to do, in war or in peace." "You're only half a man." "A poor, impotent creature who's afraid to admit it to himself" "Shut up, damn you, shut up." "Why?" "You can kill me only once." "Let me get this off my chest and die happy." "You've always been in love with your mother, Kurt." "Only with her." "The portraits, Marka, the cat, this damn castle." "I spit on you, darling." "And not because you can't go to bed with a woman." "That's a pitiful problem." "You make me sick because you won't admit it." "You'd rather kill than have it known, and anyone who finds out about it ends up in the freezer." "Shut up, shut up, shut up!" "The great hero trembling at the thought that his myth might collapse." "I am a man!" "And I can prove it to you!" "Prove it." "No, my dear." "I know your level." "You shall join your friend Sergio." "I'll give you to my dogs." "You will find the temperature a little below zero." "It will take you about 11/2 to 2 hours before you join the others." "Good-bye... forever." "It's absurd." "It's ridiculous." "The baroness must already have left for Venice." "And what about the funeral?" "In my opinion, it's best the poor girl doesn't come up for the funeral." "It will be grandiose and historic, true, but exhausting." "Especially for a young widow." "We'll make sure she knows her husband died like a hero." "I swear, at this moment," "I envy her."