GlAZIER
He can drop dead now. We know
why. Let's get out of here.
AuDIENCE MEMBER Or he can re turn to his family,
revive his mother, lay his father to
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1 69
rest, come into his inheritance,
gratify his fiancee 's every whim,
start up a magazine, a church, a
home of his own , a movie club,
and who knows what else? Living
or dead, he belongs among us,
again he 's one of ours. That's all
that had to be worked out. That
basically there is only us. It's even
much better this way. There 's
more decency in it. (To Victor)
Thank you ! (He moves forward,
extending his hand) Brother!
(Victor doesn ' t take his hand,
perhaps hasn 't seen it) No? It
doesn 't matter. Of no importance
whatsoever. Simply a question of
taste. Goodnight. Come,
Tchoutchi. (He heads for the
stage-box, followed by Tchoutchi,
for all that still smiling)
GLAZIER
Through there . (He points to the
wings)
AUDIENCE MEMBER Why?
GLAZIER
Through there , I tell you. (He
moves forward, threateningly. The
Audience member faces up to
him. Tchoutchi as well) You think
I ' m afraid of your Pekingese? (He
moves forward)
AUDIENCE MEMBER Your attitude amazes me. I bail
you out and you threaten me with
1 70
SAMUEL BECKEIT
violence.
VICTOR
What difference can it possibly
make which way he goes out? Now
that the damage is done.
AUDIENCE MEMBER The damage ! That's how you
thank me !
GlAZIER
Abortionist! Baboon ! (He moves
forward. The Audience member
and Tchoutchi draw back toward
the wing in question ) Huckster!
(The Audience member and
Tchoutchi exit hastily. The Glazier
takes the chair and hurls it after
them, into the wing. Resounding
crash) Bastard! (He goes toward
Victor) He took us for a ride ! (He
sees the prompter's script on the
floor, picks it up, throws it into the
wing) Peace of filth ! (He goes
back and forth, furious. He stops
in front of Victor) You couldn 't
have told that to us two hours -
two years - ago? (Pause) Ham !
( He resumes his walk) Still, what a
put-on . (He stops before his tools
scattered all over the floor, gazes
upon them in disgust) Will you
look at that!
VICTOR
Bawl me out a wee bit more.
GlAZIER
I don ' t have the heart to pick
them up. (He moves the tools
about with the tips of his toes) It
would've been nice to take the
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1 7 1
diamond along with m e . ( He
looks for it) So much the worse.
(Victor gets up and goes to help
him look for the diamond) What
are you doing?
VICTOR
I ' m looking for the diamond. (He
moves the tools about with his
foot) It's perhaps your son who
has it.
GLAZIER
My son? You think so? It's possible .
VICTOR
He 's not here.
GLAZIER
I don ' t know.
VICTOR
You're leaving the window like
that?
GLAZIER
Yes.
VICTOR
And the door?
GLAZIER
I ' m leaving it like that.
VICTOR
You ' re coming back tomorrow?
GLAZIER
No.
VICTOR
Then take your belongings.
GLAZIER
I ' m giving them to you.
VICTOR
You've done some very fine work.
GLAZIER
Yes. (A silence) I shouldn ' t have
waked you up. (Pause) You were
dreaming?
VICTOR
Yes.
GLAZIER
What?
VICTOR
I was dreaming of my father. He
was -
GLAZIER
No, no, don ' t say it. I hate the
1 72
SA.1UEL BECKEIT
firsthand accounts of dreams.
VICTOR
He was in the water and I myself
was on the diving board. It was -
GLAZIER
Don ' t say it!
VICTOR
The sea was full of rocks. He told
me to dive in .
GLAZIER
To dive in?
VICTOR
I myself didn 't want to.
GLAZIER
And why was that?
VICTOR
I was afraid to get hurt. I was
afraid of the rocks. I was afraid of
drowning. I didn ' t know how to
SWim.
GLAZIER
He would have saved you.
VICTOR
That's what he told me.
GLAZIER
Still, you did dive in .
(A silence)
VICTOR
I have that dream all the time. (A
silence) You knew that guy?
GLAZIER
Which guy? Oh, that one. Thousand-butts. ( He reflects) My anger
has died down . How did that
happen?
VICTOR
Who's there?
GLAZIER
What? Oh yes. I don 't know.
Manille, billiards, plentiful fare
painstakingly prepared, pain in
the cecum, Saturday night
lovemaking after the show, a
weakness for clarity, nothing to
excess - (He listens) There is
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1 73
somebody on the landing. ( Gently
he opens the door slightly, looks
outside , a silence . He gently shuts
the door) Well, of all things! (He
rubs his hands) Now this is a real
surprise. I'd never have expected it.
VIcroR
Who's there?
GlAZIER
It's the Catalysis King and his
sweetheart. It will take them a
minute. (He reflects) You don 't
want to see this piece of trash
through to the bitter end?
VrcroR
I don ' t understand.
GlAZIER
Telling us what you've decided.
(The door opens slightly, the
Glazier rushes to shut it again .
Through the door) One moment!
We 'll call you ! Do go on pawing
each other for a bit! While awaiting better things! (To Victor) Yes
indeed, what you 've decided on
the horns of the dilemma
Dupont.
VrcroR
I haven 't decided anything.
GlAZIER
Except that you can ' t go on like
this. So? One more little shake of
the ass, Ducky. The last. Come
one. Be nice .
VIcroR
I ' m telling you I d
on ' t know. For
you that's not enough of a
sla ugh terfest?
GlAZIER
One tiny corpse more. What
1 74
SA.1UEL BECKETT
difference can it possibly make to
you? Given the point you' re at?
VICTOR
I don 't know.
GlAZIER
I don 't know, I don 't know! Are
you being asked to know? (The
door opens again slightly, the
Glazier shuts it again . Through
the door) One moment! (To
Victor) Say any old thing. You're
coming in on the boogie-woogie,
yes, or: shit, no? (Victor smiles)
You're smiling? You dare to smile !
(He opens the door. Enter Mlle .
Skunk and Dr. Piouk, imperfectly
attired)
DR. PIOUK
As mischievous as ever.
MllE. SKUNK
Victor! (She rushes into his arms.
Unwieldy operation)
GlAZIER
(With butterflylike gestures) From
flower to flower and from object
to object.
DR. PIOUK
To work. My time is limited. Why
do you remain in the gloom?
GlAZIER
Well, old bodice-basher, what's
gotten into you? Your concubine
has been looking everywhere for
you.
MLLE. SKID:K
(Moving away from the bed) He 's
in a sweat. (To the Glazier) You
explained to him?
DR. PIOUK
Lights.
GlAZIER
How is his mother?
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1 75
MllE. SKUNK
Very ill. You told him?
GLAZIER
(To Victor) You hear? Mummy is
at her last gasp. (Victor gets up,
moves vaguely around the bed.
Everyone looks at him in silence .
He goes toward them) He lost his
jacket.
DR. PIOUK
(Singing and dancing)
His trousers he did lose
While dancing in his Charleston
shoes.
(Victor gives Mlle. Skunk a questioning look, indicating Dr.
Piouk)
MllE. SKUNK
Why, it's Marguerite 's husband,
for Pete ' s sake.
DR. PIOUK
Let me introduce myself: Dr.
Andre Piouk, psychopath .
GLAZIER
And sociologist.
DR. PIOUK
At your service. Lights.
GLAZIER
Before we go any further -
DR. PIOUK �·
Lights.
GLAZIER
Just a minute, just a minute . Yes. I
have a happy, a grand piece of
news to announce to you . ( Pause)
There were many things happening here this afternoon. Astonishing things. What a pity you couldn 't have witnessed them. But
no doubt you had better things to
do . (Pause) You recall last night's
1 76
SA.1UEL BECKETI
pretty kettle of fish? Well, now
everything is in order, a little
parcel here, a little parcel there ,
nicely tied, nicely labelled, a
mailman couldn 't get it wrong. As
for your fiance, Mademoiselle , he
was literally brilliant. He gave us
one of those presentations (gesture) fit for a board of directors. A
real treat. I have to say that we
were backed up, yes, by a sort of
outer-borough sub-Socrates.
Honor to whom honor. Without
him I don 't know if we could have
brought it off. (To Victor) What
do you think?
MllE. SKUNK
And the grand piece of news?
GLAZIER
Ah yes, the grand piece of news.
Well - brace yourselves - no, he
must tell you about that himself.
This moment is sacred. My lips
would defile it.
MllE. SKUNK
(To Victor) Well?
VICTOR
You ' re still giving heed to this
joker?
GLAZIER
That's the thanks I get.
MllE. SKUNK
Then it isn 't true?
DR. PIOUK
I said to her, verbatim , Dear Olga,
my dear little Olga, do you want
me to help you? To get him back
for you? Safe and sound? Into
your pretty arms? Well ! Dear Olga.
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1 77
( Pause) She got the point.
GlAZIER
(To Victor) You hear that? Her
most precious possession ! So that
you might live ! Monster!
DR. PIOUK
It was good. ( He scratches his
head thoughtfully) Nothing more.
MllE. SKUNK
The will has been read. There 's
nothing for you. You ' re not mentioned.
GlAZIER
Let's strike a blow! Strike a blow!
DR. PIOUK
Marguerite, you ' d think was
(he searches) raffia.
GlAZIER
(To Mlle. Skunk) You ' re being
calm.
MILE. SKUNK
Oh, there is nothing to fear. It's
all arranged. You haven ' t told him
anything?
GlAZIER
We are now aware of the motives
for his behavior. They escape me
for the moment, but I dare say I
could reconstruct them if it happens to be of interest to you.
(Pause) We are aware as well of
the goal that he's been pursuing,
for two years. He defined it in
unforgettable terms, and nonetheless I forget them. ( Pause) And we
know - (To Doctor Piouk who
mumbles and can ' t sit still) quiet!
- we know - brace yourselves -
are you bracing yourselves? - be
ready for a shock - we know -
1 78
SAMUEL BECKETI
( Pause) - that he's no longer
pursuing it. (A silence) What a
coup ! (Violently) Why, you mean
to tell me you don 't understand?
MLLE. SKUNK
Not very well.
GLAZIER
Why, you're utterly dense !
MLLE. SKUNK
I ' m tired.
DR. PIOUK
Without being sated. Classic
souvemr.
GLAZIER
He 's giving up. It's over. He made
a mistake ! He 's beaten. On the
ropes. Done for! Knocked out! He
owns up. Ask him.
MLLE. SKUNK
It's true, Victor? Oh say that it's
true !
GLAZIER
He saw his father last night. That
finished him off. I always said
we ' d get him that way.
MLLE. SKUNK
Victor! My love ! It's over? You're
done for? Oh, how delightful !
VICTOR
What?
MLLE. SKUNK
You don ' t want to live like this
anymore? Say that it's quite true !
DR. PIOUK
Silence ! Enough ! Let's finish up!
To work! Give-and-take ! Lights !
(The Glazier turns on the light.
Dr. Piouk gets nearer to Victor,
looks at him close up) Fu
nnylooking mug.
Mu.E. SKUNK
Maybe now -
DR. PIOUK
Silence ! Silence when I'm work-
ELEUTHERIA
1 79
ing! (To Victor) Monsieur, I will
be brief. You don 't want to live.
Do you have a desire to die? (He
raises his hand) Stop and think.
VICTOR
What business is it of yours?
DR. PIOUK
Be straightforward. Don 't be
afraid. Loosen up. This is a
unique opportunity.
VICTOR
Who told you I didn ' t want to live?
What do you know about it? What
do you call that? (He puts forth
his trembling hand) The wind in
the reeds?
DR. PIOUK
Monsieur, I joined your gloomridden family through the workings of marriage. Odd workings.
For the forty-eight hours that I 've
been inside the metropolis, I 've
been hearing only about you .
Idiocies. I listen . I draw m y conclusions. I see one thing only:
distress. I come running. I see
you. Smart boy, hypersensitive,
great independence of character,
health robust, at any rate not one
lesion, incapable of shuffling, is
trying to find his way. Vital signs
reduced to a minimum . For what
purpose? That's of no interest to
me. I see tendency, movement.
What's at issue? (Pause) Monsieur,
a man like yourself, so long as he
doesn 't have three grams of
1 80
SA.1UEL BECKETI
morphine in his hand, tosses
about in the void. (Pause) You
reject my terms? No ! The purest
act of consciousness, the most
sublime flight, is howlingly (He
takes his head in his hands)
physical, howlingly, you know it as
well as I do, it's engraved on your
comedones. (Pause) This is rigorously pain-free, you'll see, you will
not have a moment's discomfort.
VICTOR
I don 't see what in terest -
DR. PIOUK
You ' re really intent on knowing
that? Such a trifle? No. You are
shilly-shallying. Quite simply.
Listen to me. Humankind - (He
turns slightly toward the audience,
clears his throat, takes an
announcer's tone ) - a few personal impressions regarding man .
Ahem ! At the very top of the list
there are the rubs. It's over, he
doesn 't get any further. And
another thing: his state revolts
him, more or less. It's too much
and it's too little. But he is resigned to it, for he bears resignation inside him, that of time 's night, bold-faced ellipsis! If he
could leave it at that! Submitting
to his condition ! But no. He
speaks well of it. He sings its
praises! He casts it behind the
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1 8 1
ozone ! H e leaves i t behind reluctantly! Ah, the bastard ! He ends
up preferring himself to the
moles, to moss. It's sickening!