Otto Mr. Preysing, I am not taking orders from you here.
What is this insolence? Please go away.
Otto You think you have free license to be insulting? Believe me, you have not. You think you're superior, but you're quite an ordinary man. Even if you did marry money, and people like me have got to slave for you for 320 marks a month!
Will you go away, please! You are annoying!
Mr. Preysing, please!
Otto You don't like to see me enjoying myself. When a man's working himself to death, that's what he's paid for. You don't care if a man can live on his wages or not.
You have a very regular scale of wages, and there's the sick fund for you.
Otto Oh, what a scale, and what a fund. When I was sick for four weeks, you wrote me a letter, telling me I'd be discharged if I was sick any longer. Did you write me that letter, or did you not?
I have no idea of the letters that I write, Mr. Kringelein. I know that you're here in the Grand Hotel, living like a lord. You are probably an embezzler.
Otto An embezzler?
Yes, an embezzler!
Otto You will take that back, right here in the presence of this young lady! Who do you think you're talking to? You think I'm dirt? Well, if I'm dirt, you're a lot dirtier, Mr. Industrial Magnate Preysing!
You're discharged! Get out!
You can't do that to him...
Oh, I don't know the man. I don't know what he wants. I never saw him before.
Otto I know you! I've kept your books for you and I know all about you! If one of your employees was half as stupid in a small way as you are in a big way...
What do you mean? [tries to strangle him. When several people try to break them up, he finally lets go] You're discharged! You're discharged, you hear?
Otto Wait! You can't discharge me. I am my own master for the first time in my life. You can't discharge me. I'm sick. I'm going to die, you understand? I'm going to die, and nobody can do anything to me anymore. Nothing can happen to me anymore. Before I can be discharged, I'll be dead! [laughs proudly]
