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

epub:type="z3998:persona">Busman Why, bless you, Miss Glory, it means that the cost of labor has fallen. A Robot, food and all, costs three-quarters of a cent per hour. Leans forward. That’s mighty important, you know. All factories will go pop like chestnuts if they don’t at once buy Robots to lower the cost of production. Helena And get rid of all their workmen? Busman Of course. But in the meantime we’ve dumped five hundred thousand tropical Robots down on the Argentine pampas to grow corn. Would you mind telling me how much you pay a pound for bread? Helena I’ve no idea. All smile. Busman Well, I’ll tell you. It now costs two cents in good old Europe. A pound of bread for two cents, and the Humanity League⁠—designates Helena⁠—knows nothing about it. To Men. Miss Glory, you don’t realize that even that’s too expensive. All Men chuckle. Why, in five years’ time I’ll wager⁠— Helena What? Busman That the cost of everything will be a tenth of what it is today. Why, in five years we’ll be up to our ears in corn and⁠—everything else. Alquist Yes, and all the workers throughout the world will be unemployed. Domin Seriously. Rises. Yes, Alquist, they will. Yes, Miss Glory, they will. But in ten years Rossum’s Universal Robots will produce so much corn, so much cloth, so much everything that things will be practically without price. There will be no poverty. All work will be done by living machines. Everybody will be free from worry and liberated from the degradation of labor. Everybody will live only to perfect himself. Helena Will he? Domin Of course. It’s bound to happen. Then the servitude of man to man and the enslavement of man to matter will cease. Nobody will get bread at the cost of life and hatred. The Robots will wash the feet of the beggar and prepare a bed for him in his house. Alquist Domin, Domin, what you say sounds too much like Paradise. There was something good in service and something great in humility. There was some kind of virtue in toil and weariness. Domin Perhaps, but we cannot reckon with what is lost when we start out to transform the world. Man shall be free and supreme; he shall have no other aim, no other labor, no other care than to perfect himself. He shall serve neither matter nor man. He will not be a machine and a device for production. He will be Lord of creation. Busman Amen. Fabry So be it. Helena Rises. You have bewildered me. I should like to believe this. Dr. Gall You are younger than we are, Miss Glory. You will live to see it. Hallemeier True. Looking around. Don’t you think Miss Glory might lunch with us? All Men rise. Dr. Gall Of course. Domin, ask her on behalf of us all. Domin Miss Glory, will you do us the honor? Helena When you know why I’ve come? Fabry For the League of Humanity, Miss Glory. Helena Oh, in that case perhaps⁠— Fabry That’s fine. Pause. Miss Glory, excuse me for five minutes. Exits R. Hallemeier Thank you. Exits R. with Dr. Gall. Busman Whispering. I’ll be back soon. Beckoning to Alquist, they exit. Alquist Starts, stops, then to Helena, then to door. I’ll be back in exactly five minutes. Exits R. Helena What have they all gone for? Domin To cook, Miss Glory. On her L. Helena To cook what? Domin Lunch. They laugh; takes her hand. The Robots do our cooking for us and as they’ve no taste it’s not altogether⁠—She laughs. Hallemeier is awfully good at grills and Gall can make any kind of sauce, and Busman knows all about omelets. Helena What a feast! And what’s the specialty of Mr.⁠—your builder? Domin Alquist? Nothing. He only lays the table. And Fabry will get together a little fruit. Our cuisine is very modest, Miss Glory. Helena Thoughtfully. I wanted to ask you something⁠— Domin And I wanted to ask you something too⁠—they’ll be back in five minutes. Looks at door R. Helena What did you want to ask me? Sits C. Domin Excuse me, you asked first. Sits L. of her. Helena Perhaps it’s silly of me, but why do you manufacture female Robots when⁠—when⁠— Domin When sex means nothing to them? Helena Yes. Domin There’s a certain demand for them, you see. Servants, saleswomen, stenographers. People are used to it. Helena But⁠—but tell me, are the Robots male and female, mutually⁠—completely without⁠— Domin Completely indifferent to each other, Miss Glory. There’s no sign of any affection between them. Helena Oh, that’s terrible. Domin Why? Helena It’s so unnatural. One doesn’t know whether to be disgusted or to hate them, or perhaps⁠— Domin To pity them. Smiles. Helena That’s more like it. What did you want to ask me? Domin I should like to ask you, Miss Helena, if you will marry me. Helena What? Rises. Domin Will you be my wife? Rises. Helena No. The idea! Domin To her, looking at his watch. Another three minutes. If you don’t marry me you’ll have to marry one of the other five. Helena But why should I? Domin Because they’re all going to ask you in turn. Helena Crossing him to L. C. How could they dare do such a thing? Domin I’m very sorry, Miss Glory. It seems they’ve fallen in love with you. Helena Please don’t let them. I’ll⁠—I’ll go away at once. Starts R. He stops her, his arms up. Domin Helena⁠—She backs away to desk. He follows. You wouldn’t be so cruel as to refuse us. Helena But, but⁠—I can’t marry all six. Domin No, but one anyhow. If you don’t want me, marry Fabry. Helena I won’t. Domin Ah! Doctor Gall? Helena I don’t want any of you. Domin Another two minutes. Pleading. Looking at watch. Helena I think you’d marry any woman who came here. Domin Plenty of them have come, Helena. Helena Laughing. Young? Domin Yes. Helena Why didn’t you marry one of them? Domin Because I didn’t lose my head.