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

stop. Radius I tell you to take live bodies. Find out how we are made. Alquist Am I to commit murder? See how my finger shakes. I cannot even hold the scalpel. No, no, I will not. Radius Take live bodies, live bodies. Walks toward Alquist. Alquist Have mercy, Robots. Radius Live bodies. Right hand up over Alquist. All Robots’ left arms still back. Alquist Rising. You will have it. Into the dissecting with you, then Hits Radius on the chest. Radius draws back. Ah, you are afraid of death. Radius I? Why should I be chosen? Alquist So you will not. Radius I will. Alquist Strip him. Lay him on the table. Radius goes off R., both fists closed. Other Robots follow, then Alquist. God, give me strength. God, give me strength. If only this murder is not in vain. Radius Off R. Ready, begin. Alquist Off R. God, give me strength. Comes on, horrified. No, no. I will not. I cannot. Sits R. C. 1st Robot Appearing in door. The Robots are stronger than you. Exits R. Alquist Oh, Lord, let not mankind perish from the earth. Falls asleep, and after the count of ten, Primus and Helena, hand in hand, enter L. and go to R. C.; look at Alquist. Helena The man has fallen asleep, Primus. Primus Yes, I know. Crosses to L. of table L. C. Look, Helena. Helena All these little tubes. What does he do with them? Primus He experiments. Don’t touch them. Helena I’ve seen him looking into this. Primus That is a microscope. Helena Look, Primus, what are all these figures? Turns a page in book on table. Primus Examining the book. That is the book the old man is always reading. Sunrise. Helena I do not understand those things. Goes to window. Primus. Primus Still at table. What? Helena The sun is rising. Primus Still reading. I believe this is the most important thing in the world, Helena. This is the secret of life. Helena Oh, Primus, don’t bother with the secret of life. What does it matter to you? Come and look quick. Primus Goes to R. of window. What is it? Helena See how beautiful the sun is rising. I feel so strange today. It’s as if I was in a dream. I feel an aching in my body, in my heart, all over me. Primus, perhaps I’m going to die. Primus Do you not sometimes feel that it would be better to die? You know, perhaps even now we are only sleeping. Last night in my sleep I again spoke to you. Helena In your sleep? Primus Yes. We spoke a strange new language. Helena What about? Primus I did not understand it myself, and yet I know I have never said anything more beautiful. And when I touched you I could have died. Even the place was different from any other place in the world. Helena I, too, have found a place, Primus. It is very strange. Human beings dwelt there once, but now it is overgrown with weeds. Primus What did you find there? Helena A cottage and a garden and two dogs. They licked my hands, Primus, and their puppies. Oh, Primus, take them in your arms and fondle them and think of nothing and care for nothing else all day long, and when I am there in the garden I feel there may be something⁠—What am I for, Primus? Primus I do not know, but you are beautiful. Helena What, Primus? Primus You are beautiful, Helena, and I am stronger than all the Robots. Helena Am I beautiful? Of what use is it to be beautiful? Look, your head is different from mine. So are your shoulders⁠—and your lips. Oh, your hair is mussed. I will smooth it. Keeps her hand on his head. No one else feels to my touch as you do. Primus Embarrassing her. Do you not sometimes feel your heart beating suddenly, Helena, and think how something must happen? Helena What could happen to us, Primus? Look at yourself. Laughs. Alquist Awakes. Laughter? Laughter, human beings. Getting up. Who has returned? Who are you? Primus The Robot Primus. Alquist To Helena. What? A Robot? Who are you? Helena The Robotess Helena. Shies away L. Alquist What? You are timid, shy? Starts to touch her. Let me see you, Robotess. Primus Sir, do not frighten her. Steps forward. Alquist What, you would protect her? Laughter⁠—timidity⁠—protection⁠—I must test you further. Take the girl into the dissecting room. Primus Why? Alquist I wish to experiment on her. Primus Upon⁠—Helena? Alquist Of course. Don’t you hear me? Or must I call someone else to take her in? Primus If you do, I will kill you. Steps toward Alquist. (Warn Curtain) Alquist Kill me⁠—kill me, then. What will your future be? Primus Sir, take me. I am made on the same day as she is. Take my life, sir. Step to Alquist. Helena No, no, you shall not. Alquist Wait, girl, wait. To Primus. Do you not wish to live, then? Primus Not without her. I will not live without her. Alquist Very well, I will use you. Into the dissecting room with you. Helena Primus. Primus. She bursts into tears and moves R. Alquist stops her. Alquist Child, child, you can weep. Tears. What is Primus to you? One Primus more or less in the world⁠—what does it matter? Helena I will go myself. Alquist Where? Into the dissecting room? Helena Crosses to R. Yes. In there⁠—to be cut. Primus stops her from going. Let me pass, Primus, let me pass. Primus You shall not go in there, Helena. Helena If you go in there and I do not, I will kill myself. Primus To Alquist. I will not let you. Man you shall kill neither of us. Alquist Why? Primus We⁠—we⁠—belong to each other. Alquist Go. Exit Primus and Helena L. Adam⁠—Eve. Curtain