SCENE V

_Night. A small house occupied by the German staff. A sentinel on guard at the door leading to the rooms occupied by the Commander of the army. All the doors and windows are open. The room is illuminated with candles. Two officers on duty are talking lazily, suffering apparently from the heat. All is quiet in the camp. Only from time to time the measured footsteps of pickets are heard, and muffled voices and angry exclamations._

VON RITZAU

Do you feel sleepy, von Stein?

VON STEIN

I don't feel sleepy, but I feel like smoking.

RITZAU

A bad habit! But you may smoke near the window.

STEIN

But what if _he_ should come in? Thank you, von Ritzau. What a stifling night! Not a breath of pure air enters the lungs. The air is poisoned with the smell of smoke. We must invent something against this obnoxious odor. Take it up, Ritzau.

RITZAU

I am not an inventor. First of all it is necessary to wring out the air as they wring the clothes they wash, and dry it in the sun. It is so moist, I feel as though I were diving in it. Do you know whether _he_ is in a good mood today?

STEIN

Why, is he subject to moods, good or bad?

RITZAU

Great self-restraint!

STEIN

Have you ever seen him undressed--or half-dressed? Or have you ever seen his hair in disorder? He is a wonderful old man!

RITZAU

He speaks so devilishly little, Stein.

STEIN

He prefers to have his cannon speak. It is quite a powerful voice, isn't it, Ritzau?

_They laugh softly. A tall, handsome officer enters quickly and goes toward the door leading to the room of the Commander._

Blumenfeld! Any news?

_The tall officer waves his hand and opens the door cautiously, ready to make his bow._

He is malting his career!

RITZAU

He is a good fellow. I can't bear it, Stein. I am suffocating here.

STEIN

Would you rather be in Paris?

RITZAU

I would prefer any less unbearable country to this. How dull it must be here in the winter time.

STEIN

But we have saved them from dullness for a long time to come. Were you ever in the Montmartre cafés, Ritzau?

RITZAU

Of course!

STEIN

Doesn't one find there a wonderful refinement, culture and innate elegance? Unfortunately, our Berlin people are far different.

RITZAU

Oh, of course. Great!

_The tall officer comes out of the door, stepping backward. He heaves a sigh of relief and sits down near the two officers. Takes out a cigar._

VON BLUMENFELD How are things?

RITZAU

Very well. We were talking of Paris.

STEIN

Then I am going to smoke too.

BLUMENFELD

You may smoke. He is not coming out Do you want to hear important news?

STEIN

Well?

BLUMENFELD He laughed just now I

STEIN

Really!

BLUMENFELD

Upon my word of honor! And he touched my shoulder with two fingers--do you understand?

STEIN

_With envy._

Of course! I suppose you brought him good news, Blumenfeld?

_The military telegraphist, standing at attention, hands Blumenfeld a folded paper._

TELEGRAPHIST

A radiogram, Lieutenant!

BLUMENFELD

Let me have it.

_Slowly he puts his cigar on the window sill and enters the Commander's room cautiously._

STEIN

He's a lucky fellow. You may say what you please about luck, but it exists. Who is this Blumenfeld? Von?--Did you know his father? Or his grandfather?

RITZAU

I have reason to believe that he had no grandfather at all. But he is a good comrade.

_Blumenfeld comes out and rejoins the two officers, taking up his cigar._

STEIN

Another military secret?

BLUMENFELD

Of course. Everything that is said and done here is a military secret. But I may tell you about it. The information we have received concerns our new siege guns--they are advancing successfully.

STEIN

Oho!

BLUMENFELD

Yes, successfully. They have just passed the most difficult part of the road--you know where the swamps are--

STEIN

Oh, yes.

RITZAU

Great!

BLUMENFELD

The road could not support the heavy weight and caved in. Our commander was very uneasy. He ordered a report about the movement at each and every kilometer.

STEIN

Now he will sleep in peace.

BLUMENFELD

He never sleeps, von Stein.

STEIN

That's true.

BLUMENFELD

He never sleeps, von Stein! When he is not listening to reports or issuing commands, he is thinking. As the personal correspondent of his Highness I have the honor to know many things which others are not allowed to know--Oh, gentlemen, he has a wonderful mind!

RITZAU

Great!

_Another very young officer enters, stands at attention before Blumenfeld._

BLUMENFELD

Sit down, von Schauss. I am talking about our Commander.

SCHAUSS

Oh!

BLUMENFELD

He has a German philosophical mind which manages guns as Leibnitz managed ideas. Everything is preconceived, everything is prearranged, the movement of our millions of people has been elaborated into such a remarkable system that Kant himself would have been proud of it. Gentlemen, we are led forward by indomitable logic and by an iron will. We are inexorable as Fate.

_The officers express their approval by subdued exclamations of "bravo."_

BLUMENFELD

How can he sleep, if the movement of our armies is but the movement of parts of his brains! And what is the use of sleep in general? I sleep very little myself, and I advise you, gentlemen, not to indulge in foolish sleep.

RITZAU

But our human organism requires sleep.

BLUMENFELD

Nonsense! Organism--that is something invented by the doctors who are looking for practice among the fools. I know of no organism. I know only my desires and my will, which says: "Gerhardt, do this! Gerhardt, go there! Gerhardt, take this!" And I take it!

RITZAU

Great!

SCHAUSS

Will you permit me to take down your words in my notebook?

BLUMENFELD

Please, Schauss. What is it you want, Zigler?

_The telegraphist has entered._

ZIGLER

I really don't know, but something strange has happened. It seems that we are being interfered with, I can't understand anything.

BLUMENFELD

What is it? What is the matter?

ZIGLER

We can make out one word, "Water"--but after that all is incomprehensible. And then again, "Water"--

BLUMENFELD

What water? You are intoxicated, Zigler. That must be wine, not water. Is the engineer there?

ZIGLER

He is also surprised and cannot understand.

BLUMENFELD

You are a donkey, Zigler! We'll have to call out--

_The Commander comes out. He is a tall, erect old man. His face is pale. His voice is dry and unimpassioned._

COMMANDER

Blumenfeld!

_All jump up, straighten themselves, as if petrified._

What is this?

BLUMENFELD

I have not yet investigated it, your Highness. Zigler is reporting--

COMMANDER

What is it, Zigler?

ZIGLER

Your Highness, we are being interfered with. I don't know what it is, but I can't understand anything. We have been able to make out only one word--"Water." Then again--"Water."

COMMANDER

_Turning around._

See what it is, Blumenfeld, and report to me--

_Engineer runs in._

ENGINEER

Where is Blumenfeld? I beg your pardon, your Highness!

COMMANDER

_Pausing._

What has happened there, Kloetz?

ENGINEER

They don't respond to our calls, your Highness. They are silent like the dead. Something has happened there.

COMMANDER

You think something serious has happened?

ENGINEER

I dare not think so, your Highness, but I am alarmed. Silence is the only answer to our most energetic calls. But Greitzer wishes to say something. ... Well? What is it, Greitzer?

_The second telegraphist has entered quietly._

GREITZER

They are silent, your Highness.

_Brief pause._

COMMANDER

_Again turning to the door._

Please investigate this, Lieutenant.

_He advances a step to the door, then stops. There is a commotion behind the windows--a noise and the sound of voices. The word "water" is repeated frequently. The noise keeps growing, turning at times into a loud roar._

What is that?

_All turn to the window. An officer, bareheaded, rushes in excitedly, his hair disheveled, his face pale._

OFFICER

I want to see his Highness. I want to see his Highness!

BLUMENFELD

_Hissing._

You are insane!

COMMANDER

Calm yourself, officer.

OFFICER

Your Highness! I have the honor to report to you that the Belgians have burst the dams, and our armies are flooded. Water!

_With horror._

We must hurry, your Highness!

COMMANDER

Hurry! I ask you to calm yourself, officer. What about our guns?

OFFICER

They are flooded, your Highness.

COMMANDER

Compose yourself, you are not behaving properly! I am asking you about our field guns--

OFFICER

They are flooded, your Highness. The water is coming this way. We must hurry, your Highness, we are in a valley. This place is very low. They have broken the dams; and the water is rushing this way violently. It is only five kilometers away from here--and we can hardly--. I beg your pardon, your Highness!

_Silence. The commotion without is growing louder. Glimmering lights appear. The beginning of a terrible panic is felt, embracing the entire camp. All watch impatiently the reddening face of the Commander._

COMMANDER

But this is--

_He strikes the table with his fist forcibly._

Absurd!

_He looks at them with cold fury, but all lower their eyes. The frightened officer is trembling and gazing at the window. The lights grow brighter outside--it is evident that a building has been set on fire. The voices without have turned into a roar. A dull noise, then the crash of shots is heard. The discipline is disappearing gradually._

BLUMENFELD

They have gone mad!

OFFICER

They are firing! It is an attack!

STEIN

But that can't be the Belgians!

RITZAU

They may have availed themselves--

BLUMENFELD

Aren't you ashamed, Stein? Aren't you ashamed, gentlemen?

COMMANDER Silence! I beg of you--

_Suddenly a piercing, wild sound of a horn is heard ordering to retreat. The roaring sound is growing rapidly._

COMMANDER

_Shots._

Who has commanded to retreat? Who dares command when I am here? What a disgrace, Blumenfeld! Order them to return!

_Blumenfeld lowers his head._

COMMANDER

This is not the German Army! You are unworthy of being called soldiers! Shame! I am ashamed to call myself your general! Cowards!

BLUMENFELD

_Stepping forward, with dignity._

Your Highness!

OFFICER

Eh! We are not fishes to swim in the water!

_Runs out, followed by two or three others. The panic is growing._

BLUMENFELD

Your Highness! We ask you--. Your life is in danger--your Highness.

_Some one else runs out. The room is almost empty. Only the sentinel remains in the position of one petrified._

BLUMENFELD

Your Highness! I implore you. Your life--I am afraid that another minute, and it will be too late! Oh, your Highness!

COMMANDER

But this is--

_Again strikes the table with his fist._

But this is absurd, Blumenfeld!

_Curtain_