ALQUIST. (_Awakes_) Laughter? Laughter, human beings. (_Getting up_) Who has returned? Who are you? PRIMUS. The Robot Primus. ALQUIST. (_To HELENA_) What? A Robot? Who are you? HELENA. The Robotess Helena. (_Shies away L._) ALQUIST. What? You are timid, shy? (_Starts to touch her_) Let me see you, Robotess. PRIMUS. Sir, do not frighten her. (_Steps forward._) ALQUIST. What, you would protect her? Laughter--timidity--protection--I must test you further. Take the girl into the dissecting room. PRIMUS. Why? ALQUIST. I wish to experiment on her. PRIMUS. Upon--Helena? ALQUIST. Of course. Don’t you hear me? Or must I call _someone else_ to take her in? PRIMUS. If you do, I will kill you. (_Steps toward ALQUIST._) (_WARN Curtain._) ALQUIST. Kill me--kill me, then. What will your future be? PRIMUS. Sir, take me. I am made on the same day as she is. Take my life, sir. (_Step to ALQUIST._) HELENA. No, no, you shall not. ALQUIST. Wait, girl, wait. (_To PRIMUS_) Do you not wish to live, then? PRIMUS. Not without her. I will not live without her. ALQUIST. Very well, I will use _you_. Into the dissecting room with you. HELENA. Primus. Primus. (_She bursts into tears and moves R. ALQUIST stops her._) ALQUIST. Child, child, you can weep. Tears. What is Primus to you? One Primus more or less in the world--what does it matter? HELENA. I will go myself. ALQUIST. Where? Into the dissecting room? HELENA. (_Crosses to R._) Yes. In there--to be cut. (_PRIMUS stops her from going._) Let me pass, Primus, let me pass. PRIMUS. You shall not go in there, Helena. HELENA. If you go in there and I do not, I will kill myself. PRIMUS. (_To ALQUIST_) I will not let you. Man you shall kill neither of us. ALQUIST. Why? PRIMUS. We--we--belong to each other. ALQUIST. Go. (_Exit PRIMUS and HELENA L._) Adam--Eve. CURTAIN R. U. R. PROPERTY LIST Throughout: Dark grey carpet ground cloth. ACT ONE _Furniture_: 1 Desk. 1 Hat rack. 1 Swivel chair. 4 Plain office chairs--high back. 2 Low back chairs. 1 Typewriter table. 1 Couch. Cushions on all seats. 2 Cabinets. _Properties on_ DOMIN’S _desk_: Flowers. Box candy. 1 Pad and blotter. 1 Letter opener. 1 Cigarette box. 1 Inkwell stand. 1 Practical buzzer (6 buttons). 1 Television. 1 Rubber stamp. 1 Pad of scrap paper. Typewritten letters. Telephone. _On Typewriter Table_: Bottle paste. Typewriter. Paper (for letters). OFF STAGE _Off_ R.: 1 Silver card tray (MARIUS). 1 Apron (BUSMAN). 1 Napkin (ALQUIST). _Off_ L.: 1 Fountain pen (for BUSMAN). 1 Telephone buzzer. 1 Siren whistle. ACTS TWO AND THREE _Furniture_: 1 Desk table. 1 Reading table. 1 Small oval table. 1 Table back of couch. 1 Blue armchair. 1 Armchair. 2 Straight chairs. 1 Fireplace. 1 Couch. 4 Pillows. Lace curtains on windows. PROPERTIES