26
PETER WEISS
constant coming and going. Notes are written, handed over. Sol–
diers, sailors come in with reports, go off with orders.
DZERZHINSKY: The aristocratic daughters of Smolny never dreamed that
the revolution would be led from here. On the door outside it says
"Class Mistress."
SOLDIER 1: Now there's another class here.
TROTSKY: How are the occupations going, Dzerzhinsky?
DZERZHINSKY: The Kexholm regiment is holding the telegraph office.
Two men at the main counter. That was enough. The clerks saw
who's in charge now.
TROTSKY: The telephone exchange?
SAILOR 1:
A
proper racket when we got there with our troops. Telephone
girls in hysterics, waving their arms. What's the matter, lassies, d'you
think we want to shoot you? You can all go. We can work it by our–
selves. And off they went. The whole Morskaya street full of screech–
ing hats and coats.
Laughter. A soldier to
MRACHKOVSKY.
MRACHKOVSKY: Electricity works, water works, main post office, all se–
cured. Reliable guards.
SAILOR
2:
The
Aurora
is now at anchor at the Nikolaevsky bridge.
We've let the bridge down. Secured the crossing.
A
few tanks about.
No sign of the junkers.
TROTSKY: How are things at the Peter and Paul fortress?
SAILOR
2:
They've got eighty machine guns. Control the quay and the
Troizky bridge.
A
few comrades out stirring things up in the bicycle
batallion. Typical people on wheels, most of them from the upper
regions.
SHLYAPNIKOV: We've taken the railway stations without a shot fired.
The pioneers were there. Slid off once it got dark. Bubnov's in con–
tact with the railway workers. Miliutin is seeing the food supplies
through.
TItOTSKY: And the state bank?
DZERZHINSKY: Detachment of marines, forty men, on their way.
WORKER 1
(to telepho17.e operator):
Come on, we're waiting. Still no
news from the arms factory? The Red Guard needs rifles.
TEL. OPERATOR: I'm through now. You can go down. Five thousand
rifles with ammunition boxes. Get a requisition from Trotsky.
Two heavily armed sailors enter.
SAILOR 3: We've occupied the state bank.
RAKOVSKY: The holiest of holies.
SAILOR 3:
A
section of Kadets at the Yekaterinsky canal. Just goggled
when they saw us. We've been sent to guard the bank, we said. They