Heinrich: ... Isolde? Isolde!
Guest I: My God, she passed out again!
People gather around in a loose circle, wringing their hands but offering little help, knowing there is little they can do besides making a spectacle of their compassion.
Guest I: She must have smelling salts on her. Find them ...
Kakania: What is going on?
Kakania: Make way, make way! Let me see ...
Heinrich: Kakania! People, make way for the doctor!
Kakania: Isolde, can you hear me? Oh no, it's a seizure. She's going to bite herself.
Kakania: Get a stick! Heinrich, do you have any props she can bite ...
Isolde: panting Doctor! Help ... Please help me ... They are here! The paintings ... They are here!
Kakania: D**n it! She can't wait ... Isolde, open your mouth ... Oof!
Guest I: Doctor! Your hand is bleeding from the bite!
Kakania: It's okay! What happened just now? She was fine when I left ten minutes ago.
Heinrich: I ... don't know! We finished reciting Siegmund's poem ...
Kakania: ... Siegmund? Oh, you mean Theophil. I see what's going on here. You've aroused her trauma.
Guest II: You shouldn't have invited her to her brother's exhibition, Heinrich! And you even read his death notice in public! You should have known it would upset her!
Guest II: He was the only family she had left!
Heinrich: gasps I did not ... I thought she had completely recovered.
Kakania: ... What?
Heinrich: She should have recovered from the electroshock therapy.
Kakania: What kind of nonsense is that? Dr. Schwartz is a liar without a conscience! He takes pleasure in the pain of his patients!
Kakania: I know how he managed to fool the Medical Association ...
Kakania: Those rich morons don't care about the patients at all. Soon as you mention fancy words like "advanced" or "science," they'll throw their wallets at you as if they'll be left behind by the times.
Kakania: They're all blinded by the shining glamor of "progressivism," and they even scoff at psychoanalysis, the real meaningful discovery of the era ...
Isolde: Ahh!
A piercing scream silences her arguments.
The screaming woman, drenched in sweat, sees the framed painting turn into a bone saw aimed at cutting open her skull, where most certainly the syrup in her brain would diffuse like milk poured into a cup of tea.
How adorable—an almost delightful thought ... But, but ...
What if it's like the oil paint on this canvas? Or like a teacup? Like a neat triangle? Like a square, like a square, like a square, like a circle—
Isolde: No! Theophil!
Isolde: ... Get away from me!
The electric lights go out, and a series of candles ignite simultaneously.
Kakania: ...?!
Isolde: Haha, hahaha! Look at the ring, Theophil. It's so beautiful ...
In the candlelight, Isolde's face is deathly pale.
Isolde: sobs No, this was my fault ...
Isolde: Yes, yes, I will do better. I can do this! I can still sing ...
Kakania: Ugh ... Isolde?
The woman pulls Kakania down by her collar.
Isolde: Please look at me, Doctor! Help me? Please help me!
Kakania: I will, Isolde. Now let go of me first.
Heinrich: Oh no. It's a seance! But Ms. Tosca only does it before a performance.
Kakania: Of course it turned out this way. She's lost control. She summoned evil spirits this time, not the good ones!
Isolde: No, no! Get away, get away!
Kakania breaks free from her grip and follows Isolde's distant gaze.
Kakania: She's afraid of the paintings! Oh, poor girl. It's her brother's paintings ...
Kakania: Ugh!
Heinrich: Ms. Kakania, watch out!
Kakania: Heinrich, give me a hand!
Kakania: Draw the ghosts away, by whatever means!
COMBAT
Kakania: Alright. You're safe now, Isolde. Now, feel the pressure of my hands.
The wandering spirits busy themselves in entangling the unfortunate gentleman. Kakania, catching her breath, gently clasps her hands over Isolde's ears.
Kakania: The pressure will remind you of some things. They'll enter your mind slowly and steadily, and they won't hurt you ...
Isolde: deep breath
Kakania: Good, that's it.
Kakania: When I release the pressure, open your eyes slowly. Those things will fall softly to the ground, like feathers. Now grab them gently ...
Kakania: Now tell me, what did you see? What happened?
Isolde: pants Ugh ...
The woman clenches her teeth, struggling to push out her gritted words.
Isolde: Ugh ... Dr. Schwartz told me that humans are rational and we should be able to control ourselves completely. But I failed. The Dittarsdorfs can't afford another lunatic like me.
Isolde: I will be abandoned by the audience, by everyone!
Kakania: No! You are not them, Isolde. As long as you receive proper treatment in the hospital ...
Isolde: Please don't, please! I am cured ... The shock therapy worked well, very well!
Kakania: Isolde ...
Isolde: No, I mustn't act like mother or Theophil ... The Dittarsdorfs can't bear ... The opera can't bear ...
Still murmuring, her breathing gradually evens out.
Kakania: ...
Kakania: Heinrich, please take Ms. Dittarsdorf to get some rest.
Heinrich: I will.
The gentleman barks a command to the guests gathered around and moves to help the girl into the backstage.
Kakania rises, rushing to the door of the Secession Building like a gust of wind.
Heinrich: What about you, doctor? Where are you going?
Kakania: I'm going to get that d****d Schwartz!
Her green figure swiftly disappears beneath the doorway.
Heinrich: ...!
But before the door can close, a hand halts its motion.
Heinrich: Kakania ... Hmm? You are from the Foundation, and ...
Heinrich: Angelotti, and the Unknown Lady?