METROPOLIS of a kicked dog. He rubbed his sobbing mouth upon the little piece of steel. "May the stinking plague gnaw you, you lice-I May you sit in muck up to your eyes-I May you swill gas instead of water and burst every day-for ten thousand yearsover and over again-I" "Grot!" "Filth-I"
"Grotll-Thank God. , , . Grot, come herel" "Who's that-" "'I am Job Fredersen's 500-" "Aaah-Hell and the devil-I wanted you-l Come here, you toad-I I must have you between my fists. I'd much rather have had your father, but you're 8 bit of him and better than nothingl Come along here, if you've got the guts.
Ah-my lad, wouldn't I like to get hold of youl I'd like to smear you from top toe in mustard and eat youl D'you know what your father's done-?" "Grot-I"
"Let me flnish-I tell youl Do yol. know wbat be did-? 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-J Tbat devil up therel That God-damned devill . , ,"
H~
"Grot, listen to me-"
"I won't listen to anythingl-" "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 rigbt-I Hallelujab Amen-I" "Grot-I" Freder laid fast bold of the dancing lump and sbook it so tbat its teetb rattled. "The water bas Booded tbe cityl The lights lie in ruinsl The water has risen up the steps! And upon the door-upon the only door, there lie tons upon tons of trains which collided witb each other therel"
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