The Serpent's Egg Page #4

Its best not to mix things up.

There is no point

in continuing here in Berlin.

Look around you, Mr. Rosenberg.

Sixteen people,

and what a program.

May I offer you

anything to drink? A cognac?

A cognac for Mr. Rosenberg.

What do you think, Mr. Rosenberg?

A cabaret and a brothel...

In Beirut, for example.

A totally different climate.

A totally different ambience.

Well close earlier tonight

and shorten the program.

Its useless staying open.

Ive never seen

anything like this rain.

Maybe its the flood.

Cheers, Mr. Rosenberg.

How do you like

my English accent?

Marvelous.

I lived for some years

with a woman fakir from New Jersey.

She taught me

all the English I know.

Ive been expecting this.

Cant you sleep?

I have to be drunk

to go to sleep.

Ive half a bottle of gin in

the small suitcase out in the kitchen.

You know, actually its

quite nice to have a fever.

You can daydream.

You fall asleep

and then you wake up.

Everythings mixed up.

Suddenly youre 6 years old,

and then Imm 15.

Its all so clear.

That damn engine.

Its started up again.

- What engine?

- Dont you hear it?

I can hear something rumbling.

Yes! Its an engine.

That bathrobe youre wearing

belonged to Papa.

Its quite touching.

I can remember

sitting in the sunshine

watching Papa

practicing a new number.

It didnt work very good.

Mama came out

of the wagon and said,

YYourre not doing it right.

And she showed him how to do it.

He just stood

and looked embarrassed

with a sheepish smile on his face.

Now whats the worst thing?

People have no future.

People have lost the future.

Im getting drunk... finally.

May I introduce myself?

I am Dr. Soltermann,

and this is my colleague

Dr. Silbermann.

We are, as you

might have guessed,

in charge

of St. Anna Clinics archives,

the largest

hospital archives in Europe

and one of the largest

in the world.

We have floor space

of several thousand square meters,

and our card index includes

over 100,000 entries.

But then, the St. Anna Clinic has

been in existence for 357 years...

in various guises, of course.

May I show you

to your place, Herr Rosenberg?

Yes, thank you.

Dr. Silbermann and I are

very grateful to have an assistant.

We have been complaining

to our chief, Professor Vergerus,

for years to no avail.

So you must know you are

very welcome, Herr Rosenberg.

You are very welcome,

Herr Rosenberg.

Dont you think Dr. Soltermann

speaks very good English?

- Very good.

- Dr. Silbermann is far too kind.

I spent seven years

in England before the war.

My doctors thesis dealt

with erotic perversions

in the writings of Ben Johnson,

an interesting but limited subject.

We go here, please.

May I ask, Herr Rosenberg,

if you have had any previous

experience in archive work?

- No. Unfortunately Ive-

- I was afraid so, but never mind.

Today I can give you

a responsible task

that calls for very little

archive experience.

Im very grateful.

How do I find my way out?

At dinnertime either Dr. Silbermann

or I will come for you.

You can rely on us.

We wont forget you.

By the way,

one thing I almost forgot-

all our material

is strictly confidential.

It mustnt be taken out of here,

and you mustntt read

or try to decipher the documents

that pass through your hands.

All the files are full of reports

of inconceivable human suffering,

of the battles of science,

its victories and defeats.

This will be your place,

Herr Rosenberg.

We begin work each morning

at 8:
00 and finish at 6:00.

We have dinner at 1:30.

We take turns to fetch it

from the kitchen of the clinic.

We are also entitled to take home

our supper in a special container.

These days thats

a priceless emolument.

Good morning, Herr Rosenberg.

Excuse me for asking.

What am I supposed to do?

You see these gray files here?

There are yellow files

of a cheaper kind.

Your first task will be to remove

the contents of the gray files...

...and transfer them

to the yellow files,

after which you will

number and letter them

in the same way as the gray ones.

Good luck, Herr Rosenberg.

- Hows it going?

- Itss hard work.

- Youre not well.

- No.

Did you have something

to eat today?

We have dinner

in the hospital staff dining room.

When do you knock off?

I think I get away at 7:00.

I can take supper from the kitchen.

Its part of the salary.

How are you getting on

in the archives?

Fine.

I dont think I ought

to stand here any longer.

Theyre terribly strict.

You suddenly look

so thin and pale.

Im all right, Abel.

It could have been worse.

I must hurry.

- Couldnt you just say yourre sick?

- I dontt dare.

- You were nearly run over.

- Thanks.

- How do you like it here with us?

- Ive only just started.

- And Manuela?

- Ask her yourself.

Lets meet one evening,

the three of us.

Im in a hurry.

Dr. Soltermann

went home after dinner.

Hes in poor health.

Im usually alone here

in the archives nowadays.

With Dr. Soltermann away,

I can say it.

Something terrible

is going on here.

What?

Here, at the clinic.

Do you know what these are,

Herr Rosenberg?

I dont understand German.

They are reports,

detailed reports, marked ssecret.

So?

Reports concerning certain

experiments undertaken at the clinic

under the supervision

of Professor Vergerus.

I dont get it.

Can you guess what kind

of experiments, Herr Rosenberg?

How could I?

Very strange experiments.

Strange?

Experiments with human beings,

Herr Rosenberg.

The engine is driving me wild.

I didnt notice it.

But you do hear it, dont you?

Yes, when you mention it.

- Its a trap.

- What is?

Dont be an idiot.

Werre locked in.

Dont get hysterical, Abel.

My head is splitting!

- You sure this gas isnt leaking?

- It isntt.

- How can you be sure?

- Because Ive tried it.

Then you did think

it was leaking, didnt you?

Stop raving at me

like a lunatic.

If you want to leave, go!

So you want me to get out?

I just say if you want to leave,

you can go.

Ive done everything I can

to keep us together.

I just cant go on anymore.

Do you hear what Im saying?

I cantt go on anymore!

I give a damn about your fear!

I give a damn about you!

Then you want me to leave.

No.

I give up.

I give up.

I cant.

- Just stay close.

- No, I cant.

Lie still.

I cant stay like this.

A little while, Abel?

Go away.

Come home with me.

Its warm.

You can have it

any way you want.

You have dollars, dont you?

Go to hell!

Where do you think we are?

Come on. Come on.

Youre trying to kill me!

Yourre trying to drain me!

Youre trying to suck me!

Stella says I cant f***!

That b*tch is jiving

the whole goddamn world.

Shes got fangs in her c*nt, man.

Fangs! In her c*nt!

I saw them! I did!

I saw them!

Mike, tell her that you and I

have screwed seven times

in at least seven different ways.

Mikaela, you know Monroe,

and you know damned well

he can only f*** faggots.

And if you say he even

half screwed you, youre lying.

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