H. Adler - Panorama

Professor Rumpler then arrives in the midst of this maelstrom. “Dash it all, what’s going on now! I can’t leave the building for a second! Why is everyone here, Horn? What’s going on? There’s no one downstairs at the cinema, where is Klinger? He’s a joke, that Klinger, he doesn’t belong in a cultural center. I have my hands full, is no one taking notes, who is taking notes? I’ve forgotten everything, what do you need? What’s going on?” Some of the employees have left, though Horn, Schrimpl, Kramer, and Michel remain, as well as Frau Michalik, Rosensaft, and Schebesta. “I guess I have to take care of everything myself. Indeed, I can’t count on anyone here to help! What do you want? What can I do? Who is that?” Frau Michalik wants to have at Rumpler, but Schrimpl holds her back, Schebesta meanwhile retreating into himself, as Josef returns to stamping the tickets, though Horn points to the angry Rosensaft and says, “Herr Professor, this is today’s speaker scheduled for the small auditorium. The gentleman is supposed to talk about Italy, but he is making things difficult for us.”—“What difficulty, sir. I’m afraid I don’t know you, what seems to be the difficulty? Krupka should come in, how many tickets have been sold, what’s wrong, why isn’t anyone saying anything? What is Lawetzer doing? Fräulein Weinstock, Fräulein Maus?” Rosensaft then asks, “Are you the director?”—“Yes, I’m Professor Rumpler. But you, who are you to cause such difficulties?”—“My name is Rosensaft. I find that this man, who has not introduced himself, is impertinent. I arrive here and ask the concierge where my room is, then go up, only to find everything a mess, no epidiascope, and so I head to the main office in order to clear things up, and this man crudely throws himself at me in a way that no one has ever done before.”—“Slow down, my dear Rosenblatt …”—“Rosen saft , please.”—“Excuse me, Rosen saft , there’s no need to get so riled. Have you ever given a talk that caused you to lose your nerve? Dash it all, then you should see Thomas Mann or Gerhart, I mean Hauptmann, before a talk, the way they sit completely at ease in my office and talk to me about the most sublime things, as if nothing were going on, each word a pearl, just think, Herr Rosensaft, indeed, it all comes from an excess of the most profound human intellect! Such giants don’t get upset if something distracts me, it can happen that my telephone will ring, you have no idea what I have to tend to, but the great ones maintain their composure and thus help sustain me. No, take it from me, Herr Rosensaft, one doesn’t create any kind of good impression with the public when you get so upset! Legions of people have spoken here and, not to insult you, some of them quite famous, genuine luminaries in front of full-capacity crowds, and yet the more important they were, you must believe me, the humbler they were as well. You should have seen the glorious impression made by Gerhart, he looking like the famous sunken bell, like Hanneles’ Ascension , not the piece itself but it’s author! You should have seen it, the wonderful head of Goethe, the gray Olympian — that’s culture, the eternal values of mankind inside one brain. But Herr Rosensaft, you can still aspire to the same, you are still a young man. I mean you well, give me your hand. We need to be friends, we need to trust each other, we are all of us human, all of us human, as Schiller said.”—“Herr Professor, that’s all quite lovely, what you say. But this man insulted me. I don’t compare myself to Hauptmann or to other celebrities, and all I want is to give my talk. For that I need an epidiascope and someone to run it. Italy without pictures, however, is not possible.”—“But of course, my good sir, you should give your talk. What’s it about? Ah yes, Italy! Also a wonderful theme of the master Goethe — Venetian nights, gondola rides, the moon rising with its lovely silhouette over the Grand Canal. I’d love to hear it myself, but unfortunately there’s a staff meeting. Look at me, if you can see me at all, I haven’t had a break since Monday, not even so much as for a cup of tea. But well then, Horn, what’s with the epdiascope?”

“Herr Professor, Schuster is sick. I asked Dr. Kramer whether he knows how to run an epidiascope, but he doesn’t appear to know how to do that and listen to insipid gossip at the same time. Then Saybusch said he was ready to, but only if he’s paid extra, which is shameless.” Rumpler yells, “That’s unheard of! Get Saybusch! What’s the meaning of this? Dash it all, do I have to run the epidiascope as well?” Saybusch then appears. “Why won’t you do what you are told?” Saybusch doesn’t allow himself to get rattled. “I do what I am told. But the epi is not part of my job. I won’t do it for free.”—“My dear Saybusch, you are still young, and therefore idealistic. The beautiful pictures, Italy, they will inspire your own drawing. Maybe you’ll even take a trip there and will already have a taste of it. Do you know Herr Rosensaft’s pictures? Dash it all, they are the finest pictures I know.” Saybusch stands strong. “I’m prepared to do it. But not for free.”—“My dear Saybusch, you are a materialist, which makes me sad, but come see me tomorrow, I want to talk with you in private. I’ll give you a day off if you’ll do it.”—“Herr Professor, I already have three days off coming to me. I won’t do it for free!”—“You scoundrel, then you’ll have four days free, next week off from Sunday through Wednesday!” An usher arrives and asks when Herr Rosensaft will be ready, the audience is waiting for the man to talk about Italy, and they are impatient, it’s already eight-thirty. Horn then asks how many there are. Fräulein Weinstock had sold sixty-three tickets at the door. Lawetzer had already sold four or five ahead of time. Then Rosensaft complains that it’s a shame there are so few people, no one had circulated enough notices, as had been agreed to, too few advertisements, though Dr. Horn challenges him by saying, “Herr Rosensaft, we understand this business better than you. We know how much we tried to publicize it! Can’t you see that Herr Professor Rumpler is completely exhausted? Please, just go up there and give your lecture!”—“And the epidiascope?” Then Rumpler says to Saybusch that he’ll be compensated, he should head up with the epidiascope, but the latter writes out an invoice and hands it along with a pen to the Professor, who okays the extra fee.

Rumpler then wants to head to his office, and Horn should accompany him, but now there is no holding back Frau Michalik, as she wrests herself away from Schrimpl and throws herself at Rumpler, standing in his path and spitting at him, “Now it’s my turn! Only over my dead body, Herr Professor Rapp!” Then the Professor turns completely soft and pats Frau Michalik on the cheek. “I’m so worried about you, my dear, you seem so upset! I’m not getting any younger, either. Dash it all, when people like us have to bend over backward!” Frau Michalik says, “If only I could speak with just you, then everything will be settled. You are still a human being, Herr Professor Rapp! No one will let me get in to see you! My love of animals is misunderstood, it’s only a part of my love of people. You already know about my plans for a society for mixed marriage. I have to bring that up in Parliament, I have to get on the radio! To read the animal tales! But your people here are no good. Dr. Horn or Korn, whoever he is, is terrible to me!”—“My dear, he’s not so bad! Our dear Horn is a bit nervous, indeed, but don’t let him get to you, he just smokes too much and certainly didn’t mean anything by what he said. Relax!”—“I am relaxed, but he can’t say that I’m not quite right. I have to read my animal tales on the radio! Herr Professor Rapp, my talk, which you know and love, is supposed to be for the series ‘Classical Witnesses!’ and it still has all those beautiful passages from new writers. That has to go on, early after the morning workout!”—“One moment, my dear friend! Take this down, Horn, remind me about this important woman, mixed marriages, Frau Michalik, a talk about classical animals, already on the program, after the morning workout, hand it on to Schrimpl, don’t remember, I mean forget! Does that satisfy you? Of course we will write to you, tomorrow, take it down, everything is settled!” With grand gestures the Professor shakes her hand, and then quick as lightning he disappears into his office with Horn, though once more she opens the door to the central office and yells out, “I won! I will speak on the radio and read my stories, even if you all go to pieces! Give my best to Professor Rapp!” Then she heads off, slamming the door behind her.