ALQUIST. (_Off R._) God, give me strength. (_Comes on, horrified_) No, no. I will not. I cannot. (_Sits R.C._) 1ST ROBOT. (_Appearing in door_) The Robots are stronger than you. (_Exits R._) ALQUIST. Oh, Lord, let not mankind perish from the earth. (_Falls asleep, and after the count of ten, PRIMUS and HELENA, hand in hand, enter L. and go to R.C.; look at ALQUIST._) HELENA. The man has fallen asleep, Primus. PRIMUS. Yes, I know. (_Crosses to L. of table L.C._) Look, Helena. HELENA. All these little tubes. What does he do with them? PRIMUS. He experiments. Don’t touch them. HELENA. I’ve seen him looking into this. PRIMUS. That is a microscope. HELENA. Look, Primus, what are all these figures? (_Turns a page in book on table._) PRIMUS. (_Examining the book_) That is the book the old man is always reading. (_SUNRISE._) HELENA. I do not understand those things. (_Goes to window_) Primus. PRIMUS. (_Still at table_) What? HELENA. The sun is rising. PRIMUS. (_Still reading_) I believe this is the most important thing in the world, Helena. This is the secret of life. HELENA. Oh, Primus, don’t bother with the secret of life. What does it matter to you? Come and look quick. PRIMUS. (_Goes to R. of window_) What is it? HELENA. See how beautiful the sun is rising. I feel so strange today. It’s as if I was in a dream. I feel an aching in my body, in my heart, all over me. Primus, perhaps I’m going to die. PRIMUS. Do you not sometimes feel that it would be better to die? You know, perhaps even now we are only sleeping. Last night in my sleep I again spoke to you. HELENA. In your sleep? PRIMUS. Yes. We spoke a strange new language. HELENA. What about? PRIMUS. I did not understand it myself, and yet I know I have never said anything more beautiful. And when I touched you I could have died. Even the place was different from any other place in the world. HELENA. I, too, have found a place, Primus. It is very strange. Human beings dwelt there once, but now it is overgrown with weeds. PRIMUS. What did you find there? HELENA. A cottage and a garden and two dogs. They licked my hands, Primus, and their puppies. Oh, Primus, take them in your arms and fondle them and think of nothing and care for nothing else all day long, and when I am there in the garden I feel there may be something-- What am I for, Primus? PRIMUS. I do not know, but you are beautiful. HELENA. What, Primus? PRIMUS. You are beautiful, Helena, and I am stronger than all the Robots. HELENA. Am I beautiful? Of what _use_ is it to be beautiful? Look, your head is different from mine. So are your shoulders--and your lips. Oh, your hair is mussed. I will smooth it. (_Keeps her hand on his head_) No one else feels to my touch as you do. PRIMUS. (_Embarrassing her_) Do you not sometimes feel your heart beating suddenly, Helena, and think how something must happen? HELENA. What could happen to us, Primus? Look at yourself. (_Laughs._)