Bab Bab 9 · 第3章（5）

THE STATUE. And who the deuce is the Superman?

THE DEVIL. Oh, the latest fashion among the Life Force fanatics. Did

you not meet in Heaven, among the new arrivals, that German Polish

madman--what was his name? Nietzsche?

THE STATUE. Never heard of him.

THE DEVIL. Well, he came here first, before he recovered his wits. I had

some hopes of him; but he was a confirmed Life Force worshipper. It was

he who raked up the Superman, who is as old as Prometheus; and the 20th

century will run after this newest of the old crazes when it gets tired

of the world, the flesh, and your humble servant.

THE STATUE. Superman is a good cry; and a good cry is half the battle. I

should like to see this Nietzsche.

THE DEVIL. Unfortunately he met Wagner here, and had a quarrel with him.

THE STATUE. Quite right, too. Mozart for me!

THE DEVIL. Oh, it was not about music. Wagner once drifted into Life

Force worship, and invented a Superman called Siegfried. But he came to

his senses afterwards. So when they met here, Nietzsche denounced him

as a renegade; and Wagner wrote a pamphlet to prove that Nietzsche was

a Jew; and it ended in Nietzsche's going to heaven in a huff. And a

good riddance too. And now, my friend, let us hasten to my palace and

celebrate your arrival with a grand musical service.

THE STATUE. With pleasure: you're most kind.

THE DEVIL. This way, Commander. We go down the old trap [he places

himself on the grave trap].

THE STATUE. Good. [Reflectively] All the same, the Superman is a fine

conception. There is something statuesque about it. [He places himself

on the grave trap beside The Devil. It begins to descend slowly. Red

glow from the abyss]. Ah, this reminds me of old times.

THE DEVIL. And me also.

ANA. Stop! [The trap stops].

THE DEVIL. You, Senora, cannot come this way. You will have an

apotheosis. But you will be at the palace before us.

ANA. That is not what I stopped you for. Tell me where can I find the

Superman?

THE DEVIL. He is not yet created, Senora.

THE STATUE. And never will be, probably. Let us proceed: the red fire

will make me sneeze. [They descend].

ANA. Not yet created! Then my work is not yet done. [Crossing herself

devoutly] I believe in the Life to Come. [Crying to the universe] A

father--a father for the Superman!

She vanishes into the void; and again there is nothing: all existence

seems suspended infinitely. Then, vaguely, there is a live human voice

crying somewhere. One sees, with a shock, a mountain peak showing

faintly against a lighter background. The sky has returned from afar;

and we suddenly remember where we were. The cry becomes distinct and

urgent: it says Automobile, Automobile. The complete reality comes

back with a rush: in a moment it is full morning in the Sierra; and the

brigands are scrambling to their feet and making for the road as the

goatherd runs down from the hill, warning them of the approach of

another motor. Tanner and Mendoza rise amazedly and stare at one another

with scattered wits. Straker sits up to yawn for a moment before he gets

on his feet, making it a point of honor not to show any undue interest

in the excitement of the bandits. Mendoza gives a quick look to see that

his followers are attending to the alarm; then exchanges a private word

with Tanner.

MENDOZA. Did you dream?

TANNER. Damnably. Did you?

MENDOZA. Yes. I forget what. You were in it.

TANNER. So were you. Amazing

MENDOZA. I warned you. [a shot is heard from the road]. Dolts! they will

play with that gun. [The brigands come running back scared]. Who fired

that shot? [to Duval] Was it you?

DUVAL. [breathless] I have not shoot. Dey shoot first.

ANARCHIST. I told you to begin by abolishing the State. Now we are all

lost.

THE ROWDY SOCIAL-DEMOCRAT. [stampeding across the amphitheatre] Run,

everybody.

MENDOZA. [collaring him; throwing him on his back; and drawing a knife]

I stab the man who stirs. [He blocks the way. The stampede it checked].

What has happened?

THE SULKY SOCIAL-DEMOCRAT, A motor--

THE ANARCHIST. Three men--

DUVAL. Deux femmes--

MENDOZA. Three men and two women! Why have you not brought them here?

Are you afraid of them?

THE ROWDY ONE. [getting up] Thyve a hescort. Ow, de-ooh lut's ook it,

Mendowza.

THE SULKY ONE. Two armored cars full o soldiers at the end o the valley.

ANARCHIST. The shot was fired in the air. It was a signal.

Straker whistles his favorite air, which falls on the ears of the

brigands like a funeral march.

TANNER. It is not an escort, but an expedition to capture you. We were

advised to wait for it; but I was in a hurry.

THE ROWDY ONE. [in an agony of apprehension] And Ow my good Lord, ere we

are, wytin for em! Lut's tike to the mahntns.

MENDOZA. Idiot, what do you know about the mountains? Are you a

Spaniard? You would be given up by the first shepherd you met. Besides,

we are already within range of their rifles.

THE ROWDY ONE. Bat--

MENDOZA. Silence. Leave this to me. [To Tanner] Comrade: you will not

betray us.

STRAKER. Oo are you callin comrade?

MENDOZA. Last night the advantage was with me. The robber of the poor

was at the mercy of the robber of the rich. You offered your hand: I

took it.

TANNER. I bring no charge against you, comrade. We have spent a pleasant

evening with you: that is all.

STRAKER. I gev my and to nobody, see?

MENDOZA. [turning on him impressively] Young man, if I am tried, I shall

plead guilty, and explain what drove me from England, home and duty. Do

you wish to have the respectable name of Straker dragged through the mud

of a Spanish criminal court? The police will search me. They will find

Louisa's portrait. It will be published in the illustrated papers. You

blench. It will be your doing, remember.

STRAKER. [with baffled rage] I don't care about the court. It's avin our

name mixed up with yours that I object to, you blackmailin swine, you.

MENDOZA. Language unworthy of Louisa's brother! But no matter: you are

muzzled: that is enough for us. [He turns to face his own men, who back

uneasily across the amphitheatre towards the cave to take refuge behind

him, as a fresh party, muffled for motoring, comes from the road in

riotous spirits. Ann, who makes straight for Tanner, comes first; then

Violet, helped over the rough ground by Hector holding her right hand

and Ramsden her left. Mendoza goes to his presidential block and seats

himself calmly with his rank and file grouped behind him, and his

Staff, consisting of Duval and the Anarchist on his right and the two

Social-Democrats on his left, supporting him in flank].

ANN. It's Jack!

TANNER. Caught!

HECTOR. Why, certainly it is. I said it was you, Tanner, We've just been

stopped by a puncture: the road is full of nails.

VIOLET. What are you doing here with all these men?

ANN. Why did you leave us without a word of warning?

HECTOR. I want that bunch of roses, Miss Whitefield. [To Tanner] When

we found you were gone, Miss Whitefield bet me a bunch of roses my car

would not overtake yours before you reached Monte Carlo.

TANNER. But this is not the road to Monte Carlo.

HECTOR. No matter. Miss Whitefield tracked you at every stopping place:

she is a regular Sherlock Holmes.

TANNER. The Life Force! I am lost.

OCTAVIUS. [Bounding gaily down from the road into the amphitheatre, and

coming between Tanner and Straker] I am so glad you are safe, old chap.

We were afraid you had been captured by brigands.

RAMSDEN. [who has been staring at Mendoza] I seem to remember the face

of your friend here. [Mendoza rises politely and advances with a smile

between Ann and Ramsden].

HECTOR. Why, so do I.

OCTAVIUS. I know you perfectly well, Sir; but I can't think where I have

met you.

MENDOZA. [to Violet] Do YOU remember me, madam?

VIOLET. Oh, quite well; but I am so stupid about names.

MENDOZA. It was at the Savoy Hotel. [To Hector] You, sir, used to come

with this lady [Violet] to lunch. [To Octavius] You, sir, often brought

this lady [Ann] and her mother to dinner on your way to the Lyceum

Theatre. [To Ramsden] You, sir, used to come to supper, with [dropping

his voice to a confidential but perfectly audible whisper] several

different ladies.

RAMSDEN. [angrily] Well, what is that to you, pray?

OCTAVIUS. Why, Violet, I thought you hardly knew one another before this

trip, you and Malone!

VIOLET. [vexed] I suppose this person was the manager.

MENDOZA. The waiter, madam. I have a grateful recollection of you all.

I gathered from the bountiful way in which you treated me that you all

enjoyed your visits very much.

VIOLET. What impertinence! [She turns her back on him, and goes up the

hill with Hector].

RAMSDEN. That will do, my friend. You do not expect these ladies to

treat you as an acquaintance, I suppose, because you have waited on them

at table.

MENDOZA. Pardon me: it was you who claimed my acquaintance. The ladies

followed your example. However, this display of the unfortunate manners

of your class closes the incident. For the future, you will please

address me with the respect due to a stranger and fellow traveller. [He

turns haughtily away and resumes his presidential seat].

TANNER. There! I have found one man on my journey capable of reasonable

conversation; and you all instinctively insult him. Even the New Man

is as bad as any of you. Enry: you have behaved just like a miserable

gentleman.

STRAKER. Gentleman! Not me.

RAMSDEN. Really, Tanner, this tone--

ANN. Don't mind him, Granny: you ought to know him by this time [she

takes his arm and coaxes him away to the hill to join Violet and Hector.

Octavius follows her, doglike].

VIOLET. [calling from the hill] Here are the soldiers. They are getting

out of their motors.

DUVAL. [panicstricken] Oh, nom de Dieu!

THE ANARCHIST. Fools: the State is about to crush you because you spared

it at the prompting of the political hangers-on of the bourgeoisie.

THE SULKY SOCIAL-DEMOCRAT. [argumentative to the last] On the contrary,

only by capturing the State machine--

THE ANARCHIST. It is going to capture you.

THE ROWDY SOCIAL-DEMOCRAT. [his anguish culminating] Ow, chock it. Wot

are we ere for? WOT are we wytin for?

MENDOZA. [between his teeth] Goon. Talk politics, you idiots: nothing

sounds more respectable. Keep it up, I tell you.

The soldiers line the road, commanding the amphitheatre with their

rifles. The brigands, struggling with an over-whelming impulse to hide

behind one another, look as unconcerned as they can. Mendoza rises

superbly, with undaunted front. The officer in command steps down from

the road in to the amphitheatre; looks hard at the brigands; and then

inquiringly at Tanner.

THE OFFICER. Who are these men, Senor Ingles?

TANNER. My escort.

Mendoza, with a Mephistophelean smile, bows profoundly. An irrepressible

grin runs from face to face among the brigands. They touch their hats,

except the Anarchist, who defies the State with folded arms.