Watch On The Rhine Page #4

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And so we have divided the world

into two parts.

Those like you who want to work for us

or with us.

And those others who lie awake trembling

and hating us because they are afraid of us.

Tell me, is not that also funny?

No, I wouldn't threaten you, Phili.

You could not be handled that way.

With all your duties,

you still had time to make a study of me.

- You are not complicated.

- No?

No. Aristocrat.

Bred to government service.

Contemptuous of us and our methods,

but chiefly because we are not gentlemen.

Would be satisfied enough

doing the same things...

...or worse,

under some stupid Hohenzollern.

Got too cynical to be really dangerous,

Baron von Ramme.

Bravo.

You make me ashamed

of being so simple.

Do Klauber for us.

Money. That is all. Nothing else.

He becomes too expensive.

But he will remedy that before it is too late.

- One makes a living.

PHILl:
And Mr. Chandler?

A man who wishes to sell us

quantities of oil...

...he has by some means

come into control of.

Later and always, he will

have other things to sell.

They always do.

- Now, look here. L...

- And oberdorff?

Oberdorff, I do not know. I have tried.

A pale lump of a man.

He sits. He observes. He says nothing.

He writes no letters. He gets none.

Perhaps he is of the secret police.

Perhaps he is even writing a book.

I do not give up. But I do not know.

His credentials are of the best.

We must see more of one another.

You've stumped Blecher.

Your credentials are of the best.

Perhaps he's a member

of the underground anti-Nazi movement.

[KLAUBER CHUCKLES]

That should be very amusing.

Perhaps he is even Max Freidank.

No, oberdorff's not Max Freidank.

I know Freidank.

You know the legendary hero

of the underground movement?

No legend. We were in school together.

Yes. And you and he met by accident

on a street in Prague in 1936.

He had with him a man called Gotter.

Oberdorff, I admire you more and more.

I feel slighted, Herr Blecher.

You haven't spoken of me.

Because it has not been necessary

to consider you, Count de Brancovis.

One knows, of course, the routine things.

Romanian, former diplomat. A gambler.

Like Phil, an aristocrat

who would rather be with his own class.

But the career goes a little wrong.

I do not know how or why,

but I make the guess.

I also make the guess that you, like

Mr. Chandler, are a man who sells things.

But I would guess also that at the moment,

you are a man who has nothing to sell.

- I'll call on you when I have.

- Good.

That's why I'm here.

TECK:
Another stack of blues, please.

BLECHER:
All right.

Your deal.

[BELL CLANGING]

Sara. Sara.

Been such a long, long time.

I got to thinking it would never happen.

David. David, darling.

Isn't it strange to see each other?

Where is everybody?

That's Mama.

She's expected you every minute,

though she knew when you were coming.

Now that the time's here,

she's off someplace else.

I'll find her.

I've always known you must have grown up

in a lovely house like this.

Sit down.

Be comfortable.

Is it allowed?

Yes, it is allowed.

The door of the home was not locked.

We just came in.

You find it curious to believe

there are people who live...

...and do not need to watch, eh, Joshua?

It is strange. But it must be good, I think.

Yes.

Isn't it a lovely house?

I'd almost forgotten.

That was my father...

...when he was the famous

Joshua Farrelly.

We were very proud of him.

Almost 18 years.

You were born here, Mama?

Upstairs.

David and I used to have

our own garden across the pond.

I like a garden.

I've always hoped that some day we'd have

a home of our own and settle down and...

[SIGHS]

I'm talking so foolish.

Sentimental.

At my age.

Gardens and homes.

- I haven't wanted anything.

- Now stop that, Sara.

This is a fine room, fine place to be.

Everything is so pleasant

and full of comfort.

That will be a good piano

on which to play again.

And it is all so clean. I like that.

You must enjoy your house, Sara.

You shall not be a baby. You shall not be

afraid that you will hurt me...

...because I have not given you

a house like this.

- Yes?

- Yes, of course.

It's strange, that's all. We've never been

together in a place like this.

Oh, but that does not mean

and should not mean...

...that we do not remember

how to enjoy what comes our way.

We are on a holiday.

ANISE:

Miss Sara.

Miss Sara.

SARA:

Anise.

I would have known you.

Yes, I would. I would have.

You look the same.

I think you look the same.

Just the way I've always remembered.

This is the Anise

I've told you so much about.

She was here long before I was born.

How do you do, sir? How do you do?

How do you do?

Thank you. We are in good health.

Madame Fanny will have a fit.

Where is she?

- You are French, Madame Anise?

ANISE:
Yes. From the Bas-Rhin.

Sara's husband, that is nice. That is nice.

Yes, your accent is from the north.

That is fine country.

We were in hiding there once.

ANISE:
Hiding. You were in hiding?

FANNY:
Sara.

Hello, Mama.

Sara. Sara, darling. You're here.

You're really here.

Welcome. Welcome.

Welcome to your house.

- You're not young, Sara.

- No, Mama.

- I'm 38.

- Thirty-eight. Of course.

You look more like your father now.

That's good. The years have helped you.

Welcome to this house, sir.

Thank you, madame.

You're a good-looking man for a German.

I like a good-looking man. I always have.

And I like a good-looking woman.

I always have.

[SPEAKS IN GERMAN]

Yes, I am your grandmother. Also,

I speak German, so don't talk about me.

I speak languages well.

But there's no longer anyone to speak with.

Anise has half forgotten her French and...

oh, it's good to have you home.

I keep chattering away...

JoSHUA:

Now you have us, madame.

We speak ignorantly but fluently

in German, French, Italian, Spanish...

And sometimes boastfully in English.

There is never a need of boasting.

If we are to fight

for the good of all men...

...it is to be accepted

that we must be among the most advanced.

My goodness. Are these your children

or are they dressed-up midgets?

These are my children, Mama.

This, Babette. This, Joshua.

This is Bodo.

You were named for your grandfather.

You bear a great name.

Two great names.

My last name is Muller.

Yes.

You look a little like your grandfather.

And so do you. You're a nice-looking girl.

That's good.

You look like nobody.

Yes, I am not beautiful.

Well, Sara, well. Three children.

You've done well.

You too, sir, of course.

- But you don't look well.

- Oh, it is only that I am a little tired.

- In a short while, I will be all right. L...

FANNY:
You look more than tired.

- We must take good care of you.

- Thank you. Thank you.

That was my Joshua.

We were very much in love.

Hard to believe of people nowadays,

isn't it?

No. Kurt and I love each other.

But there are ways and ways of loving.

- How dare you, Mama.

- Ladies. Ladies.

I was almost mad then.

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