Sense of Wonder: A Century of Science Fiction (34 page)

DOMIN: Will you be my wife?

HELENA: No! The idea!

DOMIN: (looking at his watch)

Another three minutes. If you won’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: How could they dare do such a thing?

DOMIN: I’m very sorry, Miss Glory. It seems they’ve all fallen in love with you.

HELENA: Please don’t let them. I’ll—I’ll go away at once.

DOMIN: Helena, 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: Dr. Gall.

HELENA: I don’t want any of you.

DOMIN: (again looking at his watch)

Another two minutes.

HELENA: I think you’d marry any woman who came here.

DOMIN: Plenty of them have come, Helena.

HELENA: Young?

DOMIN: Yes.

HELENA: Why didn’t you marry one of them?

DOMIN: Because I didn’t lose my head. Until today. Then, as soon as you lifted your veil—

(HELENA turns her head away)

Another minute.

HELENA: But I don’t want you, I tell you.

DOMIN: (laying both hands on her shoulders)

One more minute! Now you either have to look me straight in the eye and say “No,” violently, and then I’ll leave you alone—or—

HELENA looks at him.

HELENA: (turning away)

You’re mad!

DOMIN: A man has to be a bit mad, Helena. That’s the best thing about him.

HELENA: You are—you are—

DOMIN: Well?

HELENA: Don’t, you’re hurting me.

DOMIN: The last chance, Helena. Now, or never—

HELENA: But—but, Harry—

He embraces and kisses her. Knocking at the door.

DOMIN:
(releasing her)

Come in.

(Enter BUSMAN, DR. GALL, and HALLEMEIRE in kitchen aprons. FABRY with bouquet and ALQUIST with napkin over his arm)

Have you finished your job?

BUSMAN: Yes.

DOMIN: So have we.

For a moment the men stand nonplussed; but as soon as they realize what DOMIN means they rush forward, congratulating HELENA and DOMIN as the curtain falls.

END OF ACT ONE

ACT II

Helena’s drawing room.

On the left a baize door, and a door to the music room, on the right a door to Helena’s bedroom. In the centre are windows looking out on the sea and the harbor. A table with odds and ends, a sofa and chairs, a writing table with an electric lamp, on the right a fireplace. On a small table back of the sofa, a small reading lamp. The whole drawing room in all its details is of a modern and purely feminine character. Ten years have elapsed since Act I.

DOMIN, FABRY, HALLEMEIER, enter on tiptoe from the left, each carrying a potted plant.

HALLEMEIER:
(putting down his flower and indicating the door to right)

Still asleep? Well, as long as she’s asleep she can’t worry about it.

DOMIN: She knows nothing about it.

FABRY:
(putting plant on writing desk)

I certainly hope nothing happens today.

HALLEMEIER: For goodness’ sake drop it all. Look, Harry, this is a fine cyclamen, isn’t it? A new sort, my latest—Cyclamen Helena.

DOMIN:
(looking out of the window)

No signs of the ship. Things must be pretty bad.

HALLEMEIER: Be quiet. Suppose she heard you.

DOMIN: Well, anyway, the
Ultimus
arrived just in time.

FABRY: You really think that today—?

DOMIN: I don’t know. Aren’t the flowers fine?

HALLEMEIER: These are my new primroses. And this is my new jasmine. I’ve discovered a wonderful way of developing flowers quickly. Splendid varieties, too. Next year I’ll be developing marvelous ones.

DOMIN: What…next year?

FABRY: I’d give a good deal to know what’s happening at Havre with—

DOMIN: Keep quiet.

HELENA: (calling from right)

Nana!

DOMIN: She’s awake. Out you go.

All go out on tiptoe through upper left door. Enter NANA from lower left door.

NANA: Horrid mess! Pack of heathens. If I had my say I’d—

HELENA: (backwards in the doorway)

Nana, come and do up my dress.

NANA: I’m coming. So you’re up at last.

(fastening Helena’s dress)

My gracious, what brutes!

HELENA: Who?

NANA: If you want to turn around, then turn around, but I shan’t fasten you up.

HELENA: What are you grumbling about now?

NANA: These dreadful creatures, these heathen—

HELENA: The Robots?

NANA: I wouldn’t even call them by name.

HELENA: What’s happened?

NANA: Another of them here has caught it. He began to smash up the statues and pictures in the drawing room, gnashed his teeth, foamed at the mouth—quite mad. Worse than an animal.

HELENA: Which of them caught it?

NANA: The one—well, he hasn’t got any Christian name. The one in charge of the library.

HELENA: Radius?

NANA: That’s him. My goodness, I’m scared of them. A spider doesn’t scare me as much as them.

HELENA: But, Nana, I’m surprised you’re not sorry for them.

NANA: Why, you’re scared of them, too! You know you are. Why else did you bring me here?

HELENA: I’m not scared, really I’m not, Nana. I’m only sorry for them.

NANA: You’re scared. Nobody could help being scared. Why, the dog’s scared of them: he won’t take a scrap of meat out of their hands. He draws in his tail and howls when he knows they’re about.

HELENA: The dog has no sense.

NANA: He’s better than them, and he knows it. Even the horse shies when he meets them. They don’t have any young, and a dog has young, every one has young—

HELENA: Please fasten up my dress, Nana.

NANA: I say it’s against God’s will to—

HELENA: What is it that smells so nice?

NANA: Flowers.

HELENA: What for?

NANA: Now you can turn around.

HELENA: Oh, aren’t they lovely. Look, Nana. What’s happening today?

NANA: It ought to be the end of the world.

Enter DOMIN.

HELENA: Oh, hello, Harry. Harry, why all these flowers?

DOMIN: Guess.

HELENA: Well, it’s not my birthday!

DOMIN: Better than that.

HELENA: I don’t know. Tell me.

DOMIN: It’s ten years ago today since you came here.

HELENA: Ten years? To-day—Why—

They embrace.

NANA: I’m off.

(Exits lower door, left)

HELENA: Fancy you remembering!

DOMIN: I’m really ashamed, Helena. I didn’t.

HELENA: But you—

DOMIN: They remembered.

HELENA: Who?

DOMIN: Busman, Hallemeier, all of them. Put your hand in my pocket.

HELENA: Pearls! A necklace. Harry, is that for me?

DOMIN: It’s from Busman.

HELENA: But we can’t accept it, can we?

DOMIN: Oh, yes, we can. Put your hand in the other pocket.

HELENA: (takes a revolver out of his pocket)

What’s that?

DOMIN: Sorry. Not that. Try again.

HELENA: Oh, Harry, what do you carry a revolver for?

DOMIN: It got there by mistake.

HELENA: You never used to carry one.

DOMIN: No, you’re right. There, that’s the pocket.

HELENA: A cameo. Why, it’s a Greek cameo!

DOMIN: Apparently. Anyhow, Fabry says it is.

HELENA: Fabry? Did Mr. Fabry give me that?

DOMIN: Of course.

(Opens the door at the left)

And look in here.—Helena, come and see this.

HELENA: Oh, isn’t it fine! Is this from you?

DOMIN: No, from Alquist. And there’s another on the piano.

HELENA: This must be from you.

DOMIN: There’s a card on it.

HELENA: From Dr. Gall.

(Reappearing in the doorway)

Oh, Harry, I feel embarrassed at so much kindness.

DOMIN: Come here. This is what Hallemeier brought you.

HELENA: These beautiful flowers?

DOMIN: Yes. It’s a new kind. Cyclamen Helena. He grew them in honor of you. They are almost as beautiful as you.

HELENA: Harry, why do they all—

DOMIN: They’re awfully fond of you. I’m afraid that my present is a little—Look out of the window.

HELENA: Where?

DOMIN: Into the harbor.

HELENA: There’s a new ship.

DOMIN: That’s your ship.

HELENA: Mine? How do you mean?

DOMIN: For you to take trips in—for your amusement.

HELENA: Harry, that’s a gunboat.

DOMIN: A gunboat? What are you thinking of? It’s only a little bigger and more solid than most ships.

HELENA: Yes, but with guns.

DOMIN: Oh, yes, with a few guns. You’ll travel like a queen, Helena.

HELENA: What’s the meaning of it? Has anything happened?

DOMIN: Good heavens, no. I say, try these pearls.

HELENA: Harry, have you had bad news?

DOMIN: On the contrary, no letters have arrived for a whole week.

HELENA: Nor telegrams?

DOMIN: Nor telegrams.

HELENA: What does that mean?

DOMIN: Holidays for us. We all sit in the office with our feet on the table and take a nap. No letters, no telegrams. Oh, glorious.

HELENA: Then you’ll stay with me today?

DOMIN: Certainly. That is, we will see. Do you remember ten years ago today? “Miss Glory, it’s a great honor to welcome you.”

HELENA: “Oh, Mr. Manager, I’m so interested in your factory.”

DOMIN: “I’m sorry, Miss Glory, it’s strictly forbidden. The manufacture of artificial people is a secret.”

HELENA: “But I oblige a young lady who has come a long way.”

DOMIN: “Certainly, Miss Glory, we have no secrets from you.”

HELENA: (seriously)

Are you sure, Harry?

DOMIN: Yes.

HELENA: “But I warn you, sir; this young lady intends to do terrible things.”

DOMIN: “Good gracious, Miss Glory. Perhaps she doesn’t want to marry me.”

HELENA: “Heaven forbid. She never dreamt of such a thing. But she came here intending to stir up a revolt among your Robots.”

DOMIN: (suddenly serious)

A revolt of the Robots!

HELENA: Harry, what’s the matter with you?

DOMIN:
(laughing it off)

“A revolt of the Robots,” that’s a fine idea, Miss Glory. It would be easier for you to cause bolts and screws to rebel, than our Robots. You know, Helena, you’re wonderful, you’ve turned the heads of us all.

He sits on the arm of Helena’s chair.

HELENA: (naturally)

Oh, I was fearfully impressed by you all then. You were all so sure of yourselves, so strong. I seemed like a tiny little girl who had lost her way among—among—

DOMIN: Among what, Helena?

HELENA: Among huge trees. All my feelings were so trifling compared with your self-confidence. And in all these years I’ve never lost this anxiety. But you’ve never felt the least misgivings—not even when everything went wrong.

DOMIN: What went wrong?

HELENA: Your plans. You remember, Harry, when the working men in America revolted against the Robots and smashed them up, and when the people gave the Robots firearms against the rebels. And then when the governments turned the Robots into soldiers, and there were so many wars.