HELENA. I wanted all of us to go away. I wanted to put an end to the factory and everything. It was so awful. DOMIN. What was awful? HELENA. That children had stopped being born. Because human beings were not needed to do the work of the world. That’s why-- DOMIN. Is that what you were thinking of? Well, perhaps in your own way you are right. BUSMAN. Wait a bit. (_Rising_) Good God, what a fool I am not to have thought of it before. HALLEMEIER. What? BUSMAN. Five hundred and twenty millions in bank-notes and checks. Half a billion in our safe. _They’ll_ sell for _half_ a billion--for half a billion they’ll-- (_Crosses to DOMIN._) DR. GALL. Are you mad, Busman? BUSMAN. I may not be a gentleman, but for a half a billion-- (_Crosses back to L._) DOMIN. Where are you going? (_GALL clutches BUSMAN._) BUSMAN. Leave me alone. Leave me alone! Good God, for half a billion anything can be bought. (_GALL and HALLEMEIER after him, then stop. He rushes out L.2. FABRY, GALL and HALLEMEIER to window._) FABRY. They stand there as if turned to stone--waiting as if something dreadful could be wrought by their silence-- HALLEMEIER. (_Looking out window_) The spirit of the mob. FABRY. Yes. It hovers above them like a quivering of the air. HELENA. Oh, God! Doctor Gall, this is ghastly! FABRY. There is nothing more terrible than the mob. The one in front is their leader. (_DOMIN crosses to window._) HELENA. (_Rises_) Which one? (_Rushing to window._) HALLEMEIER. Point him out. FABRY. (_L. window_) The one at the edge of the dock. This morning I saw him talking to the sailors in the harbor. HELENA. Doctor Gall, that’s Radius. (_Backing into the room, horror-stricken._) DR. GALL. Yes. DOMIN. Radius! Radius! HALLEMEIER. Could you get him from here, Fabry? FABRY. I hope so. HALLEMEIER. Try it, then. FABRY. Good-- (_Draws his revolver and takes his aim._) HELENA (_To FABRY_) Fabry, don’t shoot him. FABRY. He’s their leader. DR. GALL. Fire! (_Standing above table L.C._) HELENA. Fabry, I beg of you. (_She goes to FABRY and holds his arm._) FABRY. (_Pause. Lowering the revolver_) Very well. DOMIN. It was Radius’ life I spared. DR. GALL. Do you think that a Robot can be grateful? (_Pause._) FABRY. Busman’s going out to them. HALLEMEIER. He’s carrying something. Papers. That’s money. Bundles of money. What’s that for? DOMIN. Surely he doesn’t want to sell his life. (_He rushes to window C._) Busman, have you gone mad? FABRY. He’s running up to the railing. Busman. Busman. HALLEMEIER. (_Yelling_) Busman, come back. FABRY. He’s talking to the Robots. He’s showing them the money. HALLEMEIER. He’s pointing to us. HELENA. He wants to buy us off. FABRY. He’d better not touch the _railing_. HALLEMEIER. Now he’s waving his arms about. DOMIN. Busman, come back!