A Master Builder Page #9

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that were strong and robust.

You know, and in so many

of those stories...

some of those women

whom they carried off...

they became so attached to the men

that they refused to be parted from them.

Does that make any sort

of sense to you, Hilde?

It makes complete sense to me.

So you could make

that same sort of a choice yourself then?

Why wouldn't I?

You could make the choice

to move in and live...

with someone who had violated you?

If I'd come to love him, yes.

Hilde.

You are like a wild bird

of the forest, Hilde.

No, I'm not...

because I don't fly off

and hide in the shrubbery.

Yes.

Maybe you're more like a bird of prey.

Perhaps I am something

more like that sort of bird.

Why shouldn't I be?

Why shouldn't I go off

in search of my prey?

Why shouldn't I seize the prize

I want so desperately?

Do you know what I feel

that you really are?

A very strange bird,

I'm sure you're gonna say.

You are like a day

which is dawning, Hilde.

When I look at you, it's as if I

were looking at the sun rising.

Yes.

- Here.

- What are you doing?

Take them.

Why, I've been looking

at these drawings all day.

Yes, I know.

Now you're going to write on them for him.

Hilde, not in a million years.

Not when that old man

is lying on his bed...

face to face with death?

I mean, my God, can't you offer

just a moment of happiness...

between the old man and his son...

before they're separated for good?

Even if you don't

really like the drawings...

surely you just bring yourself

to lie a little.

Now you're asking me to lie?

And if you do, write some really nice

things on the young man's drawings...

that might actually help him

to get the job of building the house.

It might help him to get the job?

Hilde, don't you understand this?

That's the only reason

he wants me to write on the drawings...

to get the job.

- To get the job.

- Right.

That's enough.

Stop it.

Stop it.

Maybe for his old father's sake

I could do something like that...

because at one point in the past,

Hilde, when I was rising up...

I pulled that old man down,

I destroyed him.

Really? Him too?

And now Ragnar wants to rise up.

Yes,

but if the poor fellow has no talent...

If Ragnar rises up...

I'm going to go down.

Yes, yes.

He'll destroy me,

just the way I destroyed his father.

You mean he actually does have talent?

Yes.

There's no question about that.

Enormous talent. Enormous talent.

And I'm afraid...

that the forces in the universe

that serve people and help them...

they are not going to be

obeying my wishes anymore.

Then you'll have to set off on your own.

That's all you can do.

Without help?

It's hopeless, Hilde.

What are you trying to do?

Are you trying

to take my life away from me...

the thing that means more to me

than life itself?

To see you with a wreath in your hand...

standing high, high up

on an enormous tower.

So, write.

Write...

some really nice things for this...

awful Ragnar.

So, now you have

to tell me something, Hilde.

Have you ever loved anyone?

Anyone else, you mean?

Anyone else?

Of course I've liked other men slightly...

for a little while anyway...

particularly when I was angry with you

for not coming to find me.

I'm sure you understand.

I've brought these little things back

for you myself, Miss Wangel.

And, the larger things

will be delivered a little bit later.

That's so nice of you.

- It's the least I could do.

- Aline?

Did you happen to notice

if the bookkeeper was out there?

Of course she was out there.

She was bent over her documents...

her usual pose when I'm in the vicinity.

I'm going to bring her this.

No. Let me have

the pleasure of doing that.

- What was her name again?

- Her name is Miss Fosli.

That's awfully cold.

I mean her first name.

It's... Kaya.

Kaya!

Please come in here right away.

The master builder wants to speak with you.

- Yes?

- Kaya, you can take these now.

The master builder has written

various things on them.

So... bring these to old Brovik...

as quickly as you can.

Yes, I will.

So Ragnar will have his chance

to build something.

Would it be all right then...

for him to come over and...

and to thank you right away?

No, no. I'm sorry.

I-I don't want any thanks.

Why don't you just...

send him my greetings

and tell him that specifically?

Yes, all right.

And you can also tell him...

that I won't be

needing him here from now on.

And, um...

I won't be needing you either.

Won't be needing me?

Well, you are gonna have

a great many concerns of your own...

to be thinking about now.

Thinking about and taking care of.

Aww...

I think y-you should go home

as quickly as possible...

with the drawings.

The sooner the better.

Don't you think you should go?

Yes.

All right.

Mrs. Solness.

Are you really gonna let them go?

Yes.

But I don't want you

to be thinking about any of that now.

I just want you

to be thinking about the fact...

that we're going

to be moving into our new house.

And I want to make that move

as soon as possible.

We are going to raise the wreath today!

We'll raise it up

to the top of the tower!

What do you think about that,

Miss Hilde?

It'll be unbelievably beautiful

to see you high up in the sky again.

- Me?

- No, no.

My God in heaven, Miss Wangel,

don't even think such thoughts.

My husband, he suffers

from the most terrible dizziness.

Your husband suffers from dizziness?

- No, he doesn't.

- He does. He does.

But I saw him myself on top

of an incredibly tall church tower.

I've heard people telling that story...

and it's absolutely impossible.

Yes, it's absolutely impossible.

And yet, well...

I actually was up there.

Halvard, how can you say such things?

You can't even go out on our balcony here,

one flight up.

And that's the way you've always been.

Well, you might perhaps

have the opportunity...

to see a different side

of me today.

No, no, no, no.

God save me from that.

That's something that I won't see.

Because I'm gonna write a note

to the doctor right this minute...

and he will definitely

persuade you not to do it.

- Aline.

- No, no, no.

Because the way you are talking,

you really are sick.

You are, Halvard.

It's the only explanation.

You're sick.

So...

is that true?

What?

That I don't like high places?

That I get dizzy?

Yes.

Have you been taking a walk

in the garden, Miss Wangel?

I was looking around a bit.

I see you found some flowers.

Yes, definitely.

There's lots of them down there,

growing up between the bushes.

Really?

They're still growing down there?

Well, you see,

I almost never go down there anymore.

No? Really?

Don't you at least

run down there once each day?

I must say,

running isn't something I really do now.

Don't you go down there

once in a while...

just to say hello

to all the lovely things?

No.

It's all become alien territory,

as far as I'm concerned.

I'd almost feel uncomfortable

about seeing it again.

- Your own garden?

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