The Sacrifice Page #4

This is my punishment!

The boy's sleeping.

Don't wake him.

- Little Man! Where is he?

- He's asleep.

Julia! Go get Little Man!

Alexander,

don't you even understand?

Julia!

Fetch the black bag by the piano.

Maybe later.

Oh, God!

Put it on the table.

Alexander!

I can't bear it any more!

Please, please!

Julia, do you need one, too?

No, I don't want it!

It's not necessary.

Yes, it is.

It's absolutely necessary.

And it's completely harmless.

It will be easier

for all of us if you take it.

No! I don't want to!

- And you, Alexander?

- No, I'll have a drink instead.

Just don't drink too much.

It'll only make it worse.

Otto?

Oh, no, don't worry.

Thanks, but I don't need it.

Julia!

We must go up to the boy.

He's not to wake up, now!

I'll go with you.

Julia can stay with Mama.

Sleep now, sleep.

We'll be right back.

It's dead.

The telephone's dead.

Oh, dear God...

Why do we always do

the opposite of what we want?

Always!

I have loved one man...

and married another.

Why?

Would you like something to drink?

No, no!

Nothing! Thanks, Otto.

No.

I think I know, now.

We simply don't want

to depend on anyone.

When two people love each other,

they don't love in the same way.

One of them is strong,

the other, weaker.

And the weaker is always the one

who loves without reckoning...

without reservation.

It feels now as if I've awakened

from some kind of dream...

after some other kind of life.

For some reason,

I always offered resistance.

I fought against something.

I defended myself,

just as though I'd had...

someone else inside me, saying:

Don't give in to anything...

don't go along with...

anything...

...or you'll die!

But God, how foolish we are anyway!

That's good.

It's good

that you finally understood that.

How do you feel?

- Better now?

- Yes.

I've finally understood,

even though it's a bit late.

But what shall we do now?

The telephone isn't working,

of course.

We could get into the car

and drive north,

where it's quieter...

But it's no use.

No. It's the same everywhere.

And no one knows where it's worst.

No, no! We'll stay here.

There, there...

Easy, easy...

We won't go anywhere.

We're staying here.

Victor!

And now...

Now we shall eat dinner!

Excuse me, but I must go now.

I have a few things to put in order.

What will you do, Martha?

Julia.

Go wake Little Man!

Today is a very special day.

We must be together.

Please stop it!

Julia, did you hear me?

- It's best not to wake him.

- Julia!

I'm not going to wake him!

I don't intend to!

And I won't allow

anyone else to, either!

He's asleep now,

and we mustn't wake him,

or frighten him.

A lot can happen

while he's sleeping.

If God will, he'll never know

what's happened.

Don't scare him!

Please, I beg you!

If you have to torture someone,

let it be Mr Alexander!

Or me, for that matter!

Choose whom you will,

since you can't do otherwise!

But I will not allow you

to torture the boy!

My dear girl...

My poor, dear girl...

Forgive me!

Our Father, who...

Our Father, who art in Heaven...

hallowed be Thy Name.

Thy Kingdom come...

Thy will be done...

Give us this day our daily bread...

And deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the Kingdom...

and the Power...

and the Glory.

Amen.

Lord!

Deliver us in this terrible time.

Don't let my children die,

or my friends...

my wife...

Victor...

all those who love Thee

and believe in Thee...

All those who do not believe in Thee,

because they are blind...

Those who haven't

given Thee a thought...

simply because they haven't yet

been truly miserable.

All those who in this hour

have lost their hope, their future...

their lives...

and the opportunity

to surrender to Thy will.

All those who are filled with dread

who feel the End coming closer...

who fear, not for themselves,

but for their loved ones.

All those whom no one,

except Thou, can offer protection.

Because this war is the ultimate war,

a horrible thing.

And after it, there will be

no victors and no vanquished...

no cities or towns, grass or trees,

water in the wells,

or birds in the sky.

I will give Thee all I have.

I'll give up my family, whom I love.

I'll destroy my home,

and give up Little Man.

I'll be mute, and never speak

another word to anyone.

I will relinquish everything

that binds me to life...

if only Thou dost restore

everything as it was before...

as it was this morning and yesterday.

Just let me be rid of...

this deadly...

sickening, animal fear!

Yes, everything!

Lord!

Help me.

I will do everything

I have promised Thee.

Come here, Victor!

Help me!

My boy!

- What is it?

- Sorry to get you up.

- Were you asleep?

- What is it? What's happened?

There's still one last chance!

A chance? What kind of chance?

A chance! One last hope!

What kind of hope?

What's the matter with you?

Nothing's the matter with me.

But Maria can do it! Maria!

Maria?

Which Maria? Do what?

You must go to her and convince her.

Do you understand?

Where must I go?

Whom must I convince?

Come in, have a drink.

I had one and I feel better.

There's no light any more.

How long have I slept?

You shouldn't drink that

by the glassful.

It's very good cognac, that!

Where is everybody?

Are they sleeping?

They're downstairs,

sitting 'round the table.

- They're very fond of you.

- Sitting 'round what table?

You must go to Maria at once!

Which Maria?

Can't you express yourself

more clearly?

Maria, you know her!

One of your servant girls.

Yes, yes, yes!

I'll explain later.

Don't rush me!

Who's rushing you, for God's sake!

Why do you always

have to beat about the bush?

She lives...

on a farm

on the other side of the bay.

Behind the church.

It's closed now.

Who?

"Who"?

I'm not talking about "who".

I mean the church.

But I asked who lives there.

What's the church got to do with it?

Who lives there?

Why, Maria, of course.

Your servant. I've been trying

to tell you that for half an hour!

Can't you pay more attention?

This is very important!

Pay attention? I...

I know where she lives.

My wife showed me.

Oh, I think that... I...

Yes, it's quite all right.

It's all right, believe me.

I'll sit here by you.

What was it you said

about the servant?

Oh, yes, your servant girl...

- Did you hear?

- Hear what?

What was that?

I don't know... I don't know.

I thought it sounded like music.

In any case, you must go to Maria!

But why?

Don't you want all of this

to be over and done with?

For what to be done with?

Everything!

The whole lot!

God, Otto!

There is an end to this!

Otto!

Yes!

You must go to Maria

and lie with her.

What?

I say, you must go

and lie with Maria!

Lie with Maria?

It's very simple. She lives alone.

And if you only wish

for one thing at that moment:

That all this will be over,

then it will be!

There'll be no more of it!

But that's madness, Otto!

Good God, Otto!

You don't understand a thing!

It's true!

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