They both contemplate delightedly all those pieces and devices. Cathy is simply fascinated.
MISTER JOSEPH
I hope you are not scared.
CATHY
(who didn't hear him)
Do you know what I was thinking about?
MISTER JOSEPH
What were you thinking about? I'm just curious to know.
CATHY
Do you remember the storage of your former shop?
MISTER JOSEPH
If I remember it... Of course I remember my former shop. I see you don't miss the chance to remind me that my situation isn't as flourishing as before.
CATHY
I hadn't the slightest intention, Mister Joseph! I simply was thinking of your storage, from where Mister Stanley used to send upstairs the things you used to ask him. I never saw it, but I was thinking that the storage could be right here... (Scared of having made a blunder.) ...Or, you know... I mean a place like this.
MISTER JOSEPH
(disapprovingly)
A place like this! You don't even think of what you are saying! If compared, my storage would be a real offence for the place where we are now! Even if it is... or it was my storage. Because my cipher-brother wasted there his time among beer bottles and empty cases...
On their path, Mister Joseph stops here and there and shows devices to Cathy as if he were the owner of the "works."
MISTER JOSEPH
...While here, look... look carefully... (Mister Joseph's outrage turns gradually into proud and admiration as he shows Cathy what they meet around.) ...Look at these marvelous machineries! — Look at these rods as thick as an arm! Please believe me that is steel of the best quality! — Those connecting rods which move those huge wheels! — All those driving belts! — Look! — Follow the pipes! — Mechanical arms that glides on those... (Mister Joseph can't find the right word.) ...On those... (Bursting out happily when he eventually finds the word.) ... Those guideways! Look at these faucets! — These motor-controllers! — Look at this riffler! Notice how remarkably it has been greased! And what a petrolatum! Please believe me that I never saw throughout my long and tumultuous life such a good petrolatum!
We can see a piston rod, which moves back and forth in a generously greased guideway.
MISTER JOSEPH
I must admit they have put a little bit too much of it because, you see, at the ends of the stroke there occurred these small petrolatum swelling, which seem to be superfluous.
Mister Joseph and Cathy watch the movement of the piston rod.
MISTER JOSEPH
If you'll lower your ear you could hear how the rod, after reaching the swallow, produces a little smack when detaching from the swallow.
CATHY
Indeed. A little smack just like a kiss.
MISTER JOSEPH
(embarrassed)
Hem! Yeah. — As you say. (Becoming again surly for a moment.) Please don't nag me about each piece you see! Hurry up, because I don't have time to waste! (Enthusiastically again.) Look at those huge blast-pressure tanks! — I'm sure you never saw in your life such giant faucets.
Cathy stops and watches the faucets.
CATHY
(straining her hearing)
But there is something gurgling in those pipes.
Mister Joseph switches quickly from enthusiasm to irritation.
MISTER JOSEPH
Of course it's gurgling! There's something gurgling in any pipe as long as they keep it in use. I don't know how it is today but in the old times pipes were used at their most.
As they advance, the workshop grows narrower and begins to look like a high gallery. The devices become scarcer and scarcer; instead, many pipes, having here and there huge valves, stretch along the walls and the ceiling. The sounds are more and more distant.
CATHY
Yet, the soil is imbued with something black. Couldn't be oil?
MISTER JOSEPH
Could be. They could have handled it with some neglectfulness. So, it wouldn't be surprising if they have wasted of it while carrying to and fro, maybe before realizing that it was much easier to pump it through pipes. — But otherwise, all has been well done, as I said. Suffice it to look at these brick walls. — Bricks of the best quality, you may believe me! They didn't crumble although they are here in the wet maybe for over one hundred years. — Please don't catch up at every trifle! Hurry up!
Mister Joseph and Cathy walk more and more hastily along the gallery, so at a time Mister Joseph begins to breathe heavily.
MISTER JOSEPH
As you can see, the corridor gets narrow here. But I hope you agree it doesn't matter. — Don't run that fast, will you? Don't forget you are with a little bit aged person who ran enough throughout his whole life for at least at a New Year's Eve enjoy a little peace. — You see those pipes? Please believe me, dear young lady, they don't depart even by an inch from their way, to the left or to the right, which reminds me the way I have lived myself throughout my long and tumultuous life.
He turns to Cathy, but she isn't there any more.
MISTER JOSEPH
Hey! Missy! Where are you?
Cathy responds from afar.
CATHY
Mister Joseph! Come here quickly!
Mister Joseph tries to perceive where her voice comes from.
MISTER JOSEPH
You never rest, miss!
CATHY
I'm in the train!
Mister Joseph beholds Cathy at the window of a train car. It's an entire train in the gallery, with small, almost miniature cars, in the late 19th century's style; as the train is rather long, one cannot see the locomotive far ahead. Mister Joseph (almost) runs, amazed, to the window from where Cathy is waving to him.
CATHY
(joking)
Oh, Mister Joseph, how nice to see you! Will you give me a hand to get down my luggage?
MISTER JOSEPH
You have a mind to kidding, dear young lady, and I'm stifling it, as you can see. Nice of you, I should say it!
CATHY
It's a whole train! I went to the end! It has a locomotive, too! Go and see!
MISTER JOSEPH
If you figure that, in the plight I am, I have a mind for locomotives, I must say you're wrong.
Cathy disappears from the window and in a few moments appears in the car's doorframe.
CATHY
Get in the car and let's take a rest. I'm sorry I caused you troubles.
Cathy reaches forth to help him.
Mister Joseph declines Cathy's hand and with difficulty gets in by himself, panting. The interior of the car is faintly lighted, and the outside looks like almost dark.
MISTER JOSEPH
Even in the most important of my business travels. — Oh! I can't stand any more...
CATHY
(worried)
Stop for a while, Mister Joseph. You'll tell me a little later.
They both go down the aisle.
MISTER JOSEPH
...Even in the most important... of my business... trips... I didn't run so much... to catch a train! — You simply killed me, dear young lady! Is it here any bench around?
With a gesture of a host, Cathy invites him to take a seat. Mister Joseph drops himself on a bench.
MISTER JOSEPH
Thank you. — Oh, thank you, missy. — So, where I was?
CATHY
(sitting down on the bench opposite him)
Let it for later, Mister Joseph. It's no hurry.
Mister Joseph pulls out his handkerchief and wipes his forehead dry.
MISTER JOSEPH
Of course it's no hurry! Just that is funny! Running when it's no hurry! — You drove me, a man a little aged, so to speak, running after a train which most likely stays here motionless for years.
Cathy bends her head faking humble.
MISTER JOSEPH
So... you said you saw the locomotive?
CATHY
(suddenly alert)
Would you like to see it, too?
MISTER JOSEPH
(not answering her question)
What a stiff bench! It simply gets to your bones. — What else you should expect from a train like this, which was made perhaps by Stephenson himself? (Staring at Cathy.) So, do you hope we could find a first class car, so to speak? (Cathy doubtfully shrugs.) Never mind. If you wish, we could try.
Mister Joseph gets up and steps out the car followed by Cathy. He stops on the open platform at the car end to give Cathy some explanations.
MISTER JOSEPH
They don't build such cars nowadays. The handle you can see here they call a hand brake. They turn it when the car, for who knows what reason, begins moving by itself down the valley. I think you do realize what a disaster could happen if there wasn't such a simple device.
Cathy looks admiringly at the hand brake and, trying to check how easily it works, turns it around once. Mister Joseph winces as if lashed.
MISTER JOSEPH
Don't touch it, young lady! I just told you the car could any time start moving down the valley!
CATHY
But it's a flat place here.
MISTER JOSEPH
How do you know? You never can say what kind of place you are on! Please remember that!
Mister Joseph steps on the narrow bridge bounded by chain link railing in between cars, and walks carefully to the open platform of the next car.
MISTER JOSEPH
(while crossing the bridge)
I'm afraid, dear young lady, that if the train were moving, I would remain the prisoner of a single car. Because this isn't a place that you'd love to pass across.
Mister Joseph and Cathy get in the next car, which isn't any different from the previous one.
MISTER JOSEPH
(disdainfully, while walking down the car)
Narrow windows, stiff wooden benches and miserable suitcase racks. — What cars!
Mister Joseph comes out on the platform at the other end of the car. Just as he is about to cross the bridge he suddenly stops, his hand grasping the bar, and turns his terrified eyes to Cathy.
MISTER JOSEPH
Don't you feel anything? (Cathy looks inquiringly at him; gravely.) Dear young lady, I would like to let you know we are on the way.
CATHY
On the way where to?
MISTER JOSEPH
That I can't say, but one thing is for certain: when you set out on your way you'll get somewhere eventually.
Looking down on Cathy, Mister Joseph turns on the flashlight and directs its light to the wall. They can see the dark wall of the gallery slowly sliding backwards.
MISTER JOSEPH
I know what you'll propose to me now: to jump from the train. Well, in this case I would like to let you know that the verb to jump has lost, so to speak, any sense for me. Young and agile as you are, you may jump. I will stay alone in the train and I'll go to the end, as I always did.
Mister Joseph turns back and sits down on the nearest bench, turns off the flashlight and puts it aside on the bench. Worried, Cathy runs to him.
CATHY
Mister Joseph, the train is still moving quite slowly! We could jump!
MISTER JOSEPH
(in an exaggerated calm)
Exactly what I foresaw. No, young lady. You jump. I gave up trading and other hopes I don't have in my life. It's long since I planned to shun society. A better occasion couldn't occur. So, please leave me alone.
The speed of the train has increased, which they can realize from the shaking of the car.
CATHY
But, Mister Joseph, don't you realize? The locomotive has no train conductor indeed! We are travelling blindly!
MISTER JOSEPH
Blindly, dear young lady. You're right. He who doesn't run the risk doesn't win.
CATHY
(after a pause)
We could just try to get to the locomotive and stop it.
No reply comes from Mister Joseph. Resigned, Cathy sits down on the bench opposite Mister Joseph and puts her arms around her knees. They travel silently for some moments. Mister Joseph looks sorrowfully at her and sighs.
MISTER JOSEPH
It happened exactly how I foresaw. Your dress got shredded because of the staples.
CATHY
(corrects him, absent-mindedly)
Steps.
Cathy looks wearily out the window. Soon, one can see the wall whitening in a pale light. Watching it, Cathy starts joyfully.
CATHY
Mister Joseph! It's dawning!
MISTER JOSEPH
(in a sovereign scorn)
Hem! — I'm surprised indeed, dear young lady, you can say such a thing. If you weren't rashly talking, as you usually are, you would see that we're simply getting out the tunnel.
The wall became much more intensely lighted, indicating that the end of the tunnel was near. Mister Joseph rises and goes to the window, interested in what is going on, and Cathy joins him, delighted.
MISTER JOSEPH
(rather coldly)
Please, dear young lady, find a place on the other side. Because the car is anyway rather small and rickety, and if we both stay on the same side, we could unbalance it completely. When I crossed the Atlantic, I remember that the first mate on the liner gave us this advice when all the passengers run to the same side to see an iceberg.
Cathy leans out of the window just in time to see...
...The locomotive getting out the tunnel.
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