R.U.R. Karel Čapek (story read aloud .TXT) 📖

same ship’s returning to us. So here’s to luck. Drinks. Domin with great exuberance has gone out in the balcony and looks over the harbor. Dr. Gall Madame, your health. All drink. Hallemeier That’s fine and strong. Helena Which ship did you mean? Domin Crosses down to C. Helena gives him his drink and she crosses to front of couch. Any ship will do, as long as it arrives in time. To the ship. Empties his glass. Helena You’ve been waiting for the ship? Sits on couch. Hallemeier Rather. Like Robinson Crusoe. Madame Helena, best wishes. Come along, Domin, out with the news. Gall has sat L. of L. C. table, drinking. Hallemeier back of table R. C. Helena Do tell me what’s happened? Domin First, it’s all up. He puts brandy glass on L. C. table. Hallemeier sits on table, upper end. Helena What’s up? Domin The revolt. Helena What revolt? Domin Give me that paper, Hallemeier. Hallemeier hands paper. Domin reads. “The first National Robot organization has been founded at Havre, and has issued an appeal to the Robots throughout the world.” Helena I read that. Domin That means a revolution. A revolution of all the Robots in the world. Hallemeier By Jove, I’d like to know⁠— Domin C. Who started it? So would I. There was nobody in the world who could affect the Robots, no agitator, no one, and suddenly this happens, if you please. Helena What did they do? Domin They got possession of all firearms, telegraphs, radio stations, railways and ships. Hallemeier And don’t forget that these rascals outnumbered us by at least a thousand to one. A hundredth part of them would be enough to settle us. Domin Remember that this news was brought by the last steamer. That explains the stoppage of all communication, and the arrival of no more ships. We knocked off work a few days ago, and we’re just waiting to see when things are to start afresh. Helena Is that why you gave me a warship? Gall fills Domin’s glass. Domin Oh, no, my dear, I ordered that six months ago. Just to be sure I was on the safe side. But, upon my soul, I was sure then that we’d be on board today. Helena Why six months ago? Domin Well, there were signs, you know. But that’s of no consequence. Gets glass. To think that this week the whole of civilization has been at stake. Your health, my friends. Hallemeier Your health, Madame Helena. All drink to Helena. Helena You say it’s all over? Domin Absolutely. Helena How do you know? Dr. Gall The boat’s coming in. The regular mail boat, exact to the minute by the timetable. It will dock punctually at eleven-thirty. Domin Punctuality is a fine thing, my friends. That’s what keeps the world in order. Here’s to punctuality. Men drink. Helena Then⁠—everything⁠—is all right? Domin Up C. a step. Practically everything. I believe they’ve cut the cables and seized the radio station. But it doesn’t matter if only the timetable holds good. Up to window. Hallemeier Rises. If the timetable holds good, human laws hold good. Divine laws hold good, the laws of the universe hold good, everything holds good that ought to hold good. Gall applauds. The timetable is more significant than the gospel, more than Homer, more than the whole of Kant. Madame Helena, the timetable is the most perfect product of the human mind. Madame Helena, I’ll fill up my glass. Gall hands Hallemeier the decanter. Helena Why didn’t you tell me anything about it? Dr. Gall Heaven forbid. Domin You mustn’t be worried with such things. Glass on table R. C.; crosses to back of couch. Helena But if the revolution had spread as far as here? Domin You wouldn’t know anything about it. Helena Why? Domin Because we’d be on board your Ultimus and well out at sea. Within a month, Helena, we’d be dictating our own terms to the Robots. Helena I don’t understand. Domin Crosses to C. toward Gall and Hallemeier. We’d take something with us that the Robots could not exist without! Helena What, Harry? Domin Turns to Hallemeier. The secret of their manufacture. Old Rossum’s manuscript. As soon as they found out that they couldn’t make themselves they’d be on their knees to us. Dr. Gall Rises. Madame Domin, that was our trump card. I never had the least fear the Robots would win. How could they against people like us? Up to window. Gall rises and goes out into the balcony. Helena Why didn’t you tell me? She rushes up to the fireplace and sees the ashes. Dr. Gall Why, the boat’s in! Hallemeier Eleven-thirty to the dot. Rising and going onto the balcony. The good old Amelia that brought Madame Helena to us. Domin goes out onto the balcony. Dr. Gall Just ten years ago to the minute. Hallemeier They’re throwing out the mailbags. Domin Busman’s waiting for them. And Fabry will bring us the first news. You know, Helena, I’m fearfully curious to know how they⁠—Crosses to C. She gets away from fire to L. of couch.⁠—tackled this business in Europe. Hallemeier Crosses down to table. To think we weren’t in it, we who invented the Robots! Returning to the armchair. Helena Harry⁠—Rushing to Domin from fireplace. Domin What is it? Helena Let’s leave here. Domin Now, Helena? Oh, come, come. Helena As quickly as possible, all of us! Domin Why? Helena Please, Harry. Please, Doctor Gall, Hallemeier, please close the factory. Domin Why, none of us could leave here now. Helena Why? Domin Because we’re about to extend the manufacture of the Robots. Helena What, now, now after the revolt? Domin Yes, precisely, after the revolt. We’re just beginning the manufacture of a new kind. Helena What kind? Domin Henceforward we shan’t have just one factory. There won’t be Universal Robots any more. We’ll establish a factory in every country, in every state, and do you know what these new factories will make?