Traumulus Page #8

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Inspector, what is this lady doing

in your office?

She's a witness in the case against the

baker, Schladebach, because of pimping.

Pimping?

-Yes.

Constable Patzkowski swore

on his job that

von Zedtlitz was with this

young lady last night.

It's all false. This is an

outrageous, outrageous lie!

Please don't believe him, Headmaster!

So you lied to my face.

Inspector, is this lady's

presence still necessary?

No.

Then please get her out of my sight.

OK, then, come with me.

Gentlemen!

You are going to leave my house today.

You are the most morally squalid young

person I have come across in my life.

If you could have anticipated what that

moment has shattered for you.

Dear Headmaster... -Yeah, you want to

lie some more. Go ahead, keep lying.

I want to tell the truth now.

-Yes, you and the truth. Ha!

I have earned your treatment.

You should become an actor. You already

have the first necessary link to theatre.

I have erred badly, Headmaster.

I regret it.

Regret, regret! What you have brought

about can't be undone.

Even I don't know how I could

debase myself like that.

But when it became clear to me this

morning what consequences my recklessness

would happen for you if my severe

transgression became public, then...

...then I thought how I couldn't

possibly tell you the truth.

That's magnificent! So then I should

actually be thankful to you.

Do you know that your temerity is

the straw that broke the camel's back?

I came again and wanted to tell

you the truth, but then...

...then I simply didn't have the courage

anymore. -The courage, yes!

But to reward my bottomless blind

confidence to give you room arrest

in an unlocked room. That audacity to

deceive me right away for the second

time with the same rotten deviousness!

You had that audacity, that sorrowful

courage! -I wanted to...

Don't interrupt me! I'm finished with

you! I don't know myself anymore!

I had only the best of intentions,

Headmaster. I wanted my fellow students...

Wonderful! Lovely! Beautifully thought-

out. You haven't lost your composure.

Now you're going to tell me that you

only went to the baker's basement to

appeal to you comrades' conscience, eh?

You persecuted innocent, you!

You aristocrat, you! Go become

a waiter in America!

Well, why aren't you defending yourself?

Why are you not answering?

Don't you have enough of a sense of honour

to defend yourself when you are maltreated?

I won't fight back against you, Headmaster.

-Of course. Too craven to defend yourself!

Go home right away. I'll send you

report card to your room.

I don't want to see you anymore. I

can't see you anymore, man!

Why are you hesitating?

Didn't you understand me?

I beg you to forgive me, Headmaster.

I'm finished with you.

-It's my last request, Headmaster.

You have forfeited all possible pleas

to me. You are a delinquent.

Headmaster...

-Pardon me, Headmaster.

The Commissioner would like

to speak with you.

Speak to me? The Commisioner? I don't

know what I have to talk about with him.

Can you tell him something nice to get

rid of him? -Forgive me, Headmaster, but

this errand... Wouldn't you be so kind

as to speak to him yourself?

Very well. If the Commissioner prefers,

I'll say it to his face.

Commissioner, please come.

Headmaster.

-And, why are you still here?

You know, I don't understand you.

I beg you again...

-So, then I have to leave!

Excuse me!

You had students of my high school

dragged to the police station like a

horde of vagabonds. That really caps

off your vendetta against me.

What else do you want? -I don't want to

prolong your distress, Headmaster.

Frankly, you should be thinking about

retiring. -Even if you had 10 times as

many aces up your sleeves,

I won't do you that favour!

Patzkowski!

-Yes, Commissioner?

Please find out for me if young Mr. von

Zedtlitz has in fact gone home.

Yes, sir! -Zedtlitz is under

my authority, Commissioner!

I'm not arguing that, but his father is

an old friend of mine, and I'm concerned

about the boy right now.

He seemed rather peculiar to me.

I would have put my hand in fire

for him, and he lied to me...

and betrayed me. Trust is foolish.

Benevolence is idiocy. Leniency is

a crime.

-You only know black and white.

I thought you preferred to forgo

official positions and dignities,

than to lose all faith in your boys?

Do you still feel the same?

Yes! And I will to the end. I can't

allow this one sad incident to change

my entire outlook!

-Very commendable!

And this horde of vagabonds, as you said

yourself, has also not made a dent in

your touching convictions. -No, you

made the young men out to be vagabonds!

Namely in the eyes of an amused rabble,

in front of which you led my boys to jail.

That's rich! Now I'm the sinner! -Yes,

your conduct towards me was a perfidy!

A perfidy! You should have

been my ally!

And you debased yourself

to become a spy!

State workers should support each other

mutually, not turn their backs!

I may have been blind.

You were dishonest.

So then, soldier, you're not going.

-No. -Tomorrow, a fight to the finish.

And if I play va banque with you, in the

name of three devils! Va banque!

The rest we'll leave up to the ministry.

You're going to lose. -We'll see.

A pity I wasted my time and effort.

-Same here.

And?

Von Zedtlitz went from here to the

school, stayed a short time in his room,

but he left very soon thereafter.

-Do you know whereto?

No, when I got there

he was already gone.

Do you have a guess, Headmaster?

No, I don't understand... He was

to be strictly confined to his room.

When you made the arrest earlier, did

you notice anything with the young man?

No, Commissioner. He was the quietest

of all. He said he no longer belonged

to the club. He had withdrawn.

-Withdrawn?

That's right. He only went in to appeal

to the consciences of his comrades, but

they laughed at him.

-Really?

Yes. The other boys affirmed

what he said.

I fear I have caused the poor

boy the gravest injustice.

Yes... He wouldn't do anything

stupid, would he?

For God's sake, Commissioner.

For God's sake!

Inspector! -Commissioner?

-How many men do you have available?

Patzkowski, Bellert, and Tiegs.

-Bellert, you take the upper forest,

Tiegs the New Town, and you the harbour.

Dear Commissioner... -Yes, yes, we have

to search for him. Come along...

On the granite!

Listen! Grand Tattoo!

Nothing. Nowhere.

Is someone there?

Oh, it's you, Headmaster.

Good evening, Headmaster.

Is Zedtlitz here?

-Unfortunately not yet, Headmaster.

Where is my son? -Fritz? Well he left

at 3, for an early evening drink.

My wife?

-Your wife is upstairs.

Oh, don't always be so clumsy.

You'll ruin my whole hairdo.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Don't poke me, either.

-No, no.

The new hat is lovely.

-Really?

Except for my old feathers.

Costs almost nothing.

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Good evening. Imagine, Zedtlitz

is still not back.

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