Copenhagen - Michael Frayn [25]
Bohr Margrethe!
Margrethe No! When he first came in 1924 he was a humble assistant lecturer from a humiliated nation, grateful to have a job. Now here you are, back in triumph—the leading scientist in a nation that’s conquered most of Europe. You’ve come to show us how well you’ve done in life.
Bohr This is so unlike you!
Margrethe I’m sorry, but isn’t that really why he’s here? Because he’s burning to let us know that he’s in charge of some vital piece of secret research. And that even so he’s preserved a lofty moral independence. Preserved it so famously that he’s being watched by the Gestapo. Preserved it so successfully that he’s now also got a wonderfully important moral dilemma to face.
Bohr Yes, well, now you’re simply working yourself up.
Margrethe A chain reaction. You tell one painful truth and it leads to two more. And as you frankly admit, you’re going to go back and continue doing precisely what you were doing before, whatever Niels tells you.
Heisenberg Yes.
Margrethe Because you wouldn’t dream of giving up such a wonderful opportunity for research.
Heisenberg Not if I can possibly help it.
Margrethe Also you want to demonstrate to the Nazis how useful theoretical physics can be. You want to save the honour of German science. You want to be there to reestablish it in all its glory as soon as the war’s over.
Heisenberg All the same, I don’t tell Speer that the reactor …
Margrethe … will produce plutonium, no, because you’re afraid of what will happen if the Nazis commit huge resources, and you fail to deliver the bombs. Please don’t try to tell us that you’re a hero of the resistance.
Heisenberg I’ve never claimed to be a hero.
Margrethe Your talent is for skiing too fast for anyone to see where you are. For always being in more than one position at a time, like one of your particles.
Heisenberg I can only say that it worked. Unlike most of the gestures made by heroes of the resistance. It worked! I know what you think. You think I should have joined the plot against Hitler, and got myself hanged like the others.
Bohr Of course not.
Heisenberg You don’t say it, because there are some things that can’t be said. But you think it.
Bohr No.
Heisenberg What would it have achieved? What would it have achieved if you’d dived in after Christian, and drowned as well? But that’s another thing that can’t be said.
Bohr Only thought.
Heisenberg Yes. I’m sorry.
Bohr And rethought. Every day.
Heisenberg You had to be held back, I know.
Margrethe Whereas you held yourself back.
Heisenberg Better to stay on the boat, though, and fetch it about. Better to remain alive, and throw the lifebuoy. Surely!
Bohr Perhaps. Perhaps not.
Heisenberg Better. Better.
Margrethe Really it is ridiculous. You reasoned your way, both of you, with such astonishing delicacy and precision into the tiny world of the atom. Now it turns out that everything depends upon these really rather large objects on our shoulders. And what’s going on in there is …
Heisenberg Elsinore.
Margrethe Elsinore, yes.
Heisenberg And you may be right. I was afraid of what would happen. I was conscious of being on the winning side … So many explanations for everything I did! So many of them sitting round the lunch-table! Somewhere at the head of the table, I think, is the real reason I came to Copenhagen. Again I turn to look .… And for a moment I almost see its face. Then next time I look the chair at the head of the table is completely empty. There’s no reason at all. I didn’t tell Speer simply because I didn’t think of it. I came to Copenhagen simply because I did think of it. A million things we might do or might not do every day. A million decisions