ELENA: (to Josef) Now, Butcher. Make sure you tell the truth, yes? Because if you don’t … (she squeezes Hamilton’s shoulders) Understood?

Josef nods.

ELENA: Say it.

JOSEF: Da, da, mnogo klarno. Ja kaću dovariti desnu.[8]

ELENA: (to Hamilton) I’ll translate to make sure you understan– (stops; giggles) I just had a better idea.

Marko. You’re going to translate what he says. You may not see your father as he tells you his sins, but perhaps you can taste them.

Elena sits down.

ELENA: All right. You may confess, Butcher.

JOSEF: Bila je žina vu logru, seki ju je zonao Vajvotinja –

ELENA: Slow down so he can keep up.

*JOSEF: Bila je, bila je žina vu logru, seki ju je zonao Vajvotinja, jar je stilno nasela draljinu, purpurnu draljinu.[9]

Bila je omašna, Zadstaneš? Ostalim zorabljicima dala je doru, i nema čuge kao dore.

Zonao som, zonao som da som marnao nju razbeniti, razbeniti je bez kabijanja.[10]

Pazovano som dvenieset mojih vojneca ka sebe i tanio som Vajvotinju. Na sebi je vnesila purpurnu draljinu … Onstovio som pratore i barta tevarena, tako da seki vu logru je moganu šuti … Mi je vačemo za stalicu, otrinata prima dalje …

*HAMILTON: (translates haltingly) There was a, a prisoner in the camp, everyone called her the Duchess. Because she always wore a dress, a purple dress.

She was dangerous, you understand? She gave the other prisoners hope, and nothing is a threat like hope.

I knew that I had to break her, break her without killing her.

So I invited twelve of my men to my quarters and brought the Duchess there. She was wearing the purple dress … I left the windows and the door open, so everyone in the camp could hear her … We tied her to my desk, facing down …[11]

Hamilton stops, overwhelmed.

*JOSEF: I … I moi moveci, jadin po jadin je selaju. Pronekad je bilo dvaje vo jastavrime, pronekad traje.[12]

*HAMILTON: And my men … one by …

As Josef continues his story, Hamilton attempts to translate. He mouths a few words here and there, but no sound comes out.

JOSEF: Padrinuo som se da nekaliku od njih je jazmu vu … od obrodi. Pretsao som vojnece da usiparne, ali to je podzelo taško jer je ona otkarvela iz … odesad. S njekih nije bilo barga, ali nekima je bilo gramljivo … Jas som ih prešalio, naordio im da zakanaše … Upala je vu neznavest, ali karestili sne reašljave sali jer mi je bilo zatrabno da vrešti, da nas mali da otprestenamo.[13]

I kad su otvečeli moi moveci, bio je moj tran. I preradio som da je vodvažu – vu venom tanotku bila je prevaniše odiskrepljena da se odbrači – padrinuo som se da je volukam vu glasči kad som je udabio.[14]

Vonda som naordio da seki odzimne šineve –[15]

ELENA: Ne.[16]

Josef looks at Elena.

ELENA: After you … finished. You told her to say something to everyone.