1 1 8
SAMUEL BECKETT
otherwise we might as well ring
down the curtain .
DR. PIOUK
So what? I have no objection to
the curtain 's being rung down on
something senseless, besides,
that's what most often happens. In
any case, I see that for you that's
not the point. I will therefore not
insist. I want quite simply to reply.
You want to impose on this how shall I put it - this semblance of a life a manner of justification , so that both the one leading it and those it grieves may,
in your oh so pretty phrase, be put
up with. That's more or less it?
Good. That's what I do when I ' m
presenting the interested party
with the possibility of taking his
refusal as far as it will go in the
neatest and nicest way imaginable .
For it is very much a question of a
refusal, if I understood it correctly.
GLAZIER
Yes. But you reason like a swine .
DR. PIOUK
It is so you may follow me better.
Let's see . I offer him (He pats his
vest) my little candy bar. He
refuses. All right. Why? No matter.
He wants to live. That's enough . It
is a meaning. A little vague, if you
like, but sufficient. People tell
each other - I am poaching on
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1 1 9
your preserves - The poor young
man ! So near giving away! Saw the
light at the last minute ! At the
very edge of the abyss! One of
ours once more ! They won 't ask
for anything more, believe me. Or
then again, he accepts. Meaning?
He has had enough. Why? Of no
importance whatsoever. He wants
to die. That's enough. It's clear.
It's luminous. Existence so weighs
him down that he prefers to
cancel himself out of it. Everybody
understands that. It's no longer
the Third Republic. No need to
come up with chancres. And there
you have it. It's as uncomplicated
as that. (To Olga) Coming?
GLAZIER
You do have a way of simplifying
things !
DR. PIOUK
Everything aspires to be either
black or white . Color is the missing of a beat. (Prestidigitator's
gesture, after the bringing off of a
sleight of hand)
MllE. SKUNK
But is he going to come back
here?
DR. PIOUK
Here or elsewhere , little does it
matter.
Mu.E. SKUNK
But he won 't let you in ! He won 't
listen to you! He won 't answer
you!
1 20
SAMUEL BECKEIT
DR. PIOUK
(Laughing) You don 't know me.
(Pause ) Not yet. (To the Glazier)
Good night. (He leads Mlle .
Skunk away)
GlAZIER
You will come tomorrow?
DR. PIOUK
(Halting) The earlier the better.
(He takes out his memorandumbook and flips through it) Let's
see - tonight - tonight I have
an engagement - tomorrow tomorrow - we have the funeral -
funeral - lunch at the widow's reading of the will - let's see tomorrow afternoon, around three o' clock, three-thirty. (Makes
a note) All right with you?
MILE. SKUNK
And if he isn 't here.
DR. PIOUK
Well then - well - then we shall
see . And on that note. (To the
Glazier) Goodnight.
MLLE. SKUNK
Goodnight.
(Exit Mlle . Skunk and Dr. Piouk.
A silence . The Glazier sits down
on the bed, takes his head in his
hands. Michel emerges from the
shadows and goes and stands in
front of him)
MICHEL
( Holding the sandwich ) Eat your
tartine, papa.
GlAZIER
( Lifting his head) Ah yes. (He
takes the sandwich) You call that a
tartine? (He separates the two
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1 2 1
slices) Here we have a tartine,
Michel. And here is another. (He
puts them back together) And
here we have a sandwich. You
understand?
MICHEL
Yes, papa.
GlAZIER
(His mouth full) A sandwich, it's
two tartines stuck together. (A
silence) Repeat.
MICHEL
A sandwich is two tartines stuck
together.
GlAZIER
Good. (A silence. The Glazier
reflects) By the way, Michel.
MICHEL
Yes, papa.
GlAZIER
Are you happy with me?
MICHEL
What is it, happy, papa?
GlAZIER
How old are you?
MICHEL
Ten years old, papa.
GlAZIER
Ten years old. (A silence) And you
don 't know what that means,
happy?
MICHEL
No, papa.
GlAZIER
You know when there is something that pleases you. It's a good
feeling, isn 't it?
MICHEL
Yes, papa.
GlAZIER
Well then , happy is pretty much
that. (A silence) So, are you
happy?
MICHEL
No, papa.
GlAZIER
And why is that?
1 22
SAMUEL BECKETI
MICHEL
I don ' t know, papa.
GLAZIER
It's because you don 't go to school
enough?
MICHEL
No, papa, I don 't like school.
GLAZIER
You would like to play with your
little buddies.
MICHEL
No, papa, I don 't like to play.
GLAZIER
I ' m not mean to you?
MICHEL
Oh no, papa.
GLAZIER
What do you like to do?
MICHEL
I don 't know.
GLAZIER
What do you mean, you don 't
know? Something has to be the
matter.
MICHEL
(Upon reflection ) I like when I
am in bed, before I go to sleep.
GLAZIER
And why is that?
MICHEL
I don ' t know, papa.
(A silence)
GLAZIER
Make the most of it.
MICHEL
Yes, papa.
(A silence)
GLAZIER
Come , let me give you a kiss.
(Michel moves forward. The
Glazier kisses him) You like when
I kiss you?
MICHEL
Not very much, papa.
GLAZIER
And why is that?
MICHEL
It prickles, papa?
GLAZIER
You see, you do know why you
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1 23
don ' t like when I kiss you.
MICHEL
Yes, papa.
GLAZIER
Then say why you
like when you
are in bed.
MICHEL
(Upon reflection ) I don 't know,
papa.
(A silence)
GLAZIER
You are still hungry.
MICHEL
Yes, papa.
GLAZIER
( Giving him the sandwich) Here,
eat that.
MICHEL
(Hesitating) But it's yours, papa.
GLAZIER
(Forcefully) Eat!
(A silence)
MICHEL
You aren ' t hungry any more,
papa?
GLAZIER
No.
MICHEL
And why is that?
(A silence)
GLAZIER
I don ' t know, Michel.
(A silence)
CURTAIN
ACT III
The next day. Late afternoon.
Victor's room seen from another angle. Krap family
side swallowed up l7y the pit.
Door ajar, windowpane broken, Glazier's tools in
disorder on the floor.
Victor alone, in bed. He is sleeping. The Glazier in the
doorway.
VICTOR
(In his sleep) No - no - too
high - rocks - my body - papa
- be brave - good little boy - I
am brave - a good little boy good little boy. (A silence. He
tosses and turns. Louder) Fathom
- full fathom five - at low tide
- low water - deep - deep -
deep surge. (A silence. Enter the
Glazier. He goes toward the bed)
There the eyes - a thousand
ships - the towers - circumcised
- fire - fire.
(A silence)
GI.AZIER
The towers circumcised fire fire !
Boy! Nice touch ! (He shakes
Victor) Up, sump ! (Victor awakens with a start, sits up, haggard)
VICTOR
(Half-awake ) No - no - tomorrow I - (He sees the Glazier)
What?
1 2 6
SA.IUEL BECKETI
GLAZIER
A little past four! Four o ' clock!
Day is done. The sun is setting.
Your father is in his grave . And
here you are wallowing in your
lustful dreams! Swine !
VICTOR
I am thirsty.
GLAZIER
(Pulling back the covers) Get up,
God damn it! You are having
callers.
VICTOR
(He sits at the edge of the bed.
Dressed like the night before, but
without his suit jacket) I ' m incred-
ibly thirsty. (He wipes his mouth)
Callers?
GLAZIER
A good thing I stopped by. They
would have found you snoring
away.
VICTOR
Who? Who would have found me?
GLAZIER
Ah, here we go !
VICTOR
I am leaving. (He gets up, starts
searching)
GLAZIER
Let us say it's an arraignment by
proxy. Today is the third day, the
great day, when everything is to be
cleared up. In an hour we will
know where we stand. What are
you looking for?
VICTOR
The glass.
GLAZIER
The glass? Here. That's a good
one.
VICTOR
(Searching) I saw it the other day.
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1 27
(He looks under the bed, sees the
glass, picks it up, goes out on the
landing, comes back with the glass
full of water, sits down on the bed,
empties the glass in one gulp,
waits, goes back out on the landing, comes back with the glass full
again, empties it again, in two gos,
places it on the bed, gets up,
searches)
GLAZIER
It's a family vault you have?
VICTOR
(Searching) What?
GLAZIER
Fashionable folks like you, there
has got to be a family vault.
VICTOR
The grain of wheat discovered in
a hypogeum is sprouting after
three thousand years of dry sleep.
(Pause) So they say. ( He searches)
(A silence)
GLAZIER
What's the matter that you 're
floundering around like - like a
lost soul?
VICTOR
I am looking for my shoes.
GLAZIER
(Also searching, after a while)
Here is one. (He kicks it toward
Victor who sticks his foot into it)
You ' re thinking of going out?
VICTOR
(Searching) And the other one?
GLAZIER
(He goes to shut the door and
leans back against it) You will not
be going out.
VICTOR
I had it last night.
1 28
SA.tUEL BECKEIT
(A knock)
GLAZIER
There they are. (He opens the
door. Enter Jacques, a shoe in his
hand. He looks at the Glazier with
astonishment, wants to speak to
him, changes his mind, moves
forward in the room)
jACQUES
I hope I am not disturbing Monsieur.
VICIOR
(Looking at the shoe) Where did
you find that?
jACQUES
On the staircase, Monsieur. I
thought I recognized Monsieur's
shoe . (He proffers the shoe to
Victor who takes it, examines it,
drops it and sticks his foot in it)
GLAZIER
A flunkey!
VICIOR
It's you who's the caller?
Qacques uncomprehending)
GLAZIER
With all due respect to Monsieur,
no, it is not he who is Monsieur's
caller.
jACQUES
Monsieur is expecting a caller?
VICIOR
No, I am going out.
jACQUES
Monsieur got back all right?
VICIOR
I don 't know. (He starts searching
again)
jACQUES
Monsieur is looking for something?
VICIOR
My jacket. Qacques helps him
look for the jacket) I lost it. (He
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1 29
goes toward the door)
jACQUES
Monsieur is not going to go out
with no jacket!
VICTOR
(To the Glazier) Let me through .
GLAZIER
No.
VICTOR
(To Jacques) Help me get out.
jACQUES
Monsieur cannot get out?
VICTOR
He is not letting me through .
jACQUES
( Getting closer to the door) What
am I to do, Monsieur?
VICTOR
Force him to let me through .
jACQUES
(Stepping forward, to the Glazier)
Get yourself away from there .
(The Glazier pushes him away
violently. Jacques staggers back a
few steps, stops)
VICTOR
(To Jacques) Both of us together.
jACQUES
(Unenthusiastically) Just as Monsieur wishes. (He moves forw
ard)
GLAZIER
Stop! Uacques stops) You loved
your master?
VICTOR
Don ' t listen to him. Come on,
together now.
GLAZIER
He loved his son?
jACQUES
(Wanting to satisfY everybody) Is
that any of your concern?
VICTOR
(Slackly) So . One, two -
GLAZIER
(To Jacques, forcefully) He has to
stay here . For his own good.
(Pause) Furthermore I won 't
hesitate to knock both of you out
1 30
SAMUEL BECKETI
cold. (A silence. Victor goes and
sits down on the bed. jacques ill at
ease)
jACQUES
Monsieur is angry? (A silence) I
am embarrassed, Monsieur. Violence, it's not my cup of tea,
Monsieur. I beg Monsieur's pardon.
VICTOR
Of course , of course . (Pause)
What do you want?
jACQUES
I had something to tell Monsieur.
( Pause) I haven't been sent. I
thought -
VICTOR
Say it.
jACQUES
Madame, Monsieur's mother
GlAZIER
Is this formality absolutely necessary?
VICTOR
He is right. Try to speak as if you
were one human being and as if I
myself were another. If you don' t
mind.
jACQUES
Monsieur, your mother is ill. The
funeral is being postponed.
VICTOR
Two birds with one stone .
jACQUES
(Faintly scandalized) The funeral
is set for tomorrow, Monsieur, the
very last put-off date.
VICTOR
Then it's not that.
jACQUES
I thought it was necessary that you
be forewarned, Monsieur. Madame is very low.
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1 3 1
VICfOR
That i s all?
jACQUES
No, Monsieur. Dr. Piouk had an
attack during the night. He is
confined to his bed.
GlAZIER
Shit!
VICfOR
Dr. who?
jACQUES
Dr. Piouk, Monsieur, the husband
of Madame your aunt, Monsieur.
VICfOR
The husband of my aunt?
GlAZIER
But of course, the husband of
your aunt. (To Jacques) What's
the matter with him?
jACQUES
I do not know exactly.
GlAZIER
Is it very serious?
jACQUES
I believe that it is quite serious.
VIcroR
And it's for that you have come?
To tell me that my mother is very
low and that the husband of my
aunt, whom I believed was a
virgin , has had an attack during
the night?
GlAZIER
Why, isn 't he chatty today!
jACQUES
I thought Monsieur should know
GlAZIER
Whoa!
jACQUES
That you should know how things
stand with your family, on this the
eve of the funeral.
GlAZIER
Eleuthéria Page 13