And, as I know perfectly well, you've never done this before." "I've always wondered why anyone would want to live forever." "It'd be so bad." "So very, very bad." "Good evening, Frau Schmidt." "Schneidermeyer." "Herr Schneidermeyer." "This is a very good example of German understatement." "You're late." "Apologies, apologies." "You see, Nolly, there's something we've been meaning to tell you." "Something rather important." "And I suppose you'd better sit down." "They're almost ready to start, I think." "So... you're not at all sure that you can pull this thing off?" "Pull what thing off?" "Ah, well, you see, in a very few moments, we are all going to be blown into eternity." "I know." "What do you mean?" "I mean we're all going to die horrible, painful deaths." "How do you know?" "Well, I know because we are part of a group of creatures who live on earth for a limited time." "Oh, no." "We're not going to die?" "Well, not for a very long time, anyway." "Haven't you noticed the wonderful changes that are taking place in you?" "Our group's in the process of transforming into higher forms of life." "Why does that make us go?" "We can't do anything about it." "It's just the way things are." "Everything living changes." "Some of us change gradually." "Others change in flashes." "Those who change in flashes have an enormous capacity for growth and experience." "You see?" "So we'll keep on changing until we reach an incredible level of development." "And then what happens?" "When do you die?" "Most of us will wait through eons and eons of infinite change until our higher consciousness is ready for the ultimate event." "And then we will be born as members of the higher group." "And all this will have taken place in a very few years?" "I don't want to brag, but..." "Well, not to brag, but our group can accelerate its own development at any time we choose." "So our group can live forever?" "Yes, forever." "You've told us that our group will grow and develop at an incredible rate." "So you tell us that our group will continue to live forever." "Yes, forever." "Now, we have a little experiment for you to perform." "I'll want you to think about this." "You're not going to die anymore." "Now, will you tell me what's happened?" "You said you'd have a surprise for me, a wonderful surprise." "Yes, Frau Schmidt." "In a few minutes, we will go away together." "We'll go back to our own time and our own country and our own life." "Where?" "You'll find out soon enough." "And the city will be overrun by our enemies." "Our group's fate is in your hands, and only in your hands." "You've saved our lives, and we must be grateful." "But one thing has nothing to do with the other." "I didn't save your lives, you did." "And you know it." "Oh, let us not argue, Nolly." "Oh, please, Frau Schmidt, have a little charity." "You have just got to think of the good of all." "I want to go home." "I am here, and you are there." "You do not see me." "That does not mean that I do not exist." "You are not aware of what we are." "What can we do to convince you?" "The experiment, do it for me." "Why?" "Because I don't want you to die anymore." "This way." "The experiment will have to be delayed, Herr Schneidermeyer." "What are you going to do?" "Kill me?" "I don't want you to die." "You think we're going to wait while the Gestapo tortures you to death?" "I can't give you the satisfaction of thinking that." "What difference does it make whether you die or not?" "I'll prove to you that my way is best." "Oh, I'm sure it's better than ours, Herr Schneidermeyer, but I'm not sure it's better than ours." "Very clever." "Well?" "I'm ready." "I feel strange." "As though there was someone else inside of me." "Perhaps this is what we mean by human evolution." "And as long as there are such people as Frau Schmidt, such people as Nolly," "we must continue to try." "We'll try to live and to change and grow as individuals, and our group will go on living, too." "So, Frau Schmidt... are you ready for your experiment?" "Very." "Now, are you ready for the experiment?" "All right." "Let's try once more." "Goodbye, Nolly." "Goodbye." "Schmidt!" "Schmidt!" "Schmidt!" "Schmidt!" "Do you hear something?" "Schmidt!" "Schmidt!" "This is my surprise, Nolly." "You are not going to die anymore." "Your group will remain alive for thousands and thousands of years." "But how can you be sure?" "Do you want me to prove it?" "Yes." "If you want it that badly, yes." "All right, Nolly, we'll do it." "You said you had a surprise for me." "Yes." "Your group will become one of us." "Your experiments will take place here in the city of Bremen." "Your entire group will be transformed into perfected, living, new men." "What?" "We will make you like ourselves." "In a few seconds, you will be standing on your feet." "Now, will you open your eyes?" "You will see that the rest of the city is completely overrun by our enemies." "Fighting between them is over." "Now the Nazis are victorious." "They have taken over everything that was not destroyed in the struggle." "I see them moving like a huge brown wave that fills all the streets and boulevards of the city." "It is the enemy horde that has crushed and killed and occupied your country." "Will you stop to see what has happened?" "No, I cannot wait." "I must get out." "What do you mean, get out?" "I must get out of this country." "I will take you where you will never have to see me again." "If I escape to the other side of the world, it will be just as if I did not exist." "I can take you out of this world." "I can help you to get away from your country." "But the moment I do that," "I cannot expect you to be with me forever." "You mean..." "I can never see you again?" "That is right." "I will be a soldier of time." "I will always be with you as long as you need me." "And we will never have to be alone again." "This is my gift to you, and it is a great one." "I have given you... immortality." "We've got to help them, you hear?" "It's the only thing that will help them." "Yeah, of course." "That's the only thing we can do for 'em." "The only thing." "Nolly, do you hear me?" "Yes, I hear you." "But, Nolly, this could happen to anybody." "Not anyone in the world." "Please, try and understand." "Oh, I understand." "You understand, all right." "I do, too." "I'm through with you." "Nolly, wait a minute." "Don't go away." "Please, wait a minute." "Don't go away!" "I want you to understand, please." "Don't go away!" "I'll explain to you!" "I'll explain it all to you!" "Oh, no, please!" "Stop it!" "Nolly!" "Nolly!" "Stop!" "Hey!" "What are you doing to him?" "Stop!" "Don't worry." "It's all right." "I'm all right." "Nolly, are you all right?" "That's all right, Nolly." "Everything's going to be all right." "You go in and get some rest, boy." "That's all right, Nolly." "Go back to sleep, boy." "Hey, come on, Nolly." "That's all right." "What you looking at?" "Come on, get out of here." "Ain't gonna do you no good to stand out there." "Get on back home, boy." "Let's go."