“Aaah—Hell and the devil—I wanted you—! Come here, you toad—! I must have you between my fists. I’d much rather have had your father, but you’re a bit of him and better than nothing! Come along here, if you’ve got the guts. Ah—my lad, wouldn’t I like to get hold of you! I’d like to smear you from top to toe in mustard and eat you! D’you know what your father’s done—?” “Grot—!” “Let me finish—I tell you! Do you know what he did—? He made me give up ... he made me give up my machine....” And once more the miserable howling of a kicked dog. “My machine ... my—my machine—! That devil up there! That God-damned devil!...” “Grot, listen to me—” “I won’t listen to anything!—” “Grot, in the underground city, the water has broken in....” Seconds of silence. Then—roars of laughter, and, on the heap of ruins, the dance of a four-legged lump, which kicked its stumps amid wild yells, clapping its hands the while. “That’s right—! Hallelujah Amen—!” “Grot—!” Freder laid fast hold of the dancing lump and shook it so that its teeth rattled. “The water has flooded the city! The lights lie in ruins! The water has risen up the steps! And upon the door—upon the only door, there lie tons upon tons of trains which collided with each other there!” “Let the rats drown—!” “The children, Grot—!!” Grot stood as if paralysed. “A girl,” continued Freder, clutching his hand into the man’s shoulder, “a girl,” he said sobbingly, bending his head as if to bury it in the man’s breast, “a girl has tried to save the children and is now shut in with them and can’t get out—” Grot began to run. “We must explode the ruins, Grot!” Grot stumbled, turned about and went on running, Freder behind him, closer than his shadow.... * * * * * “... But Foxy Fox knew very well that Mr. Hedgehog would come to help him out of the trap, and he wasn’t a bit frightened and waited quite cheerfully, although it was a good long time before Mr. Hedgehog—gallant Mr. Hedgehog! came back....” “Maria—!” “Oh Christ.... Freder?” “Don’t be startled, do you hear?” “Freder, you’re not in danger?” No answer. Silence. A crackling sound. Then a childish voice: “And did Mr. Hedgehog come, sister?” “Yes—” But the “yes” was drowned by the tearing of thousands of steel cables, the roar of tens of thousands of rocks which were hurled up to the dome of heaven, to burst the dome and to sink, to hurtle downwards, causing the earth to sway under their fall. Supplementary crackling. Grey, leisurely clouds. Distant rumbling. And steps. Childish crying. And, up above, the door which was hauled upwards: “Maria—!” A blackened face bent downwards; filthy hands stretched out, gropingly. “Maria—!” “Here I am, Freder!” “I can hardly hear you....” “Get the children out first, Freder.... The wall’s sinking....”