by David Hare
Mme Aung We never really met.
Darwin No. No. We never met, that is true. But perhaps before I go, I may nevertheless set you right on a point of fact. Ingmar Bergman is not a bloody Norwegian, he is a bloody Swede. (He nods slightly.) Good night, everyone.
Darwin goes out. Brock gets up and goes to the door, then turns.
Brock He’s going to resign.
Pause.
Susan Isn’t this an exciting week? Don’t you think? Isn’t this thrilling? Don’t you think? Everything is up for grabs. At last. We will see some changes. Thank the Lord. Now, there was dinner. I made some more dinner for Leonard. A little ham. And chicken. And some pickles and tomato. And lettuce. And there are a couple of pheasants in the fridge. And I can get twelve bottles of claret from the cellar. Why not?
There is plenty.
Shall we eat again?
INTERVAL
SCENE EIGHT
Knightsbridge. July 1961.
From the dark the voice of a Priest.
Priest Man that is born of woman hath but a short time to live and is full of misery. He cometh up and is cut down like a flower. He fleeth and never continueth in one stay. In the midst of life we are in death. Of whom may we seek for succour but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased?
The room is dark. All the chairs, all the furniture, all the mirrors are covered in white dust-sheets. There is a strong flood of light from the hall which silhouettes the group of three as they enter, all dressed in black. First Brock, then Dorcas, a tall heavily-built, 17-year-old blonde and then Alice who, like the others, does not remove her coat. Alice’s manner has darkened and sharpened somewhat. Brock goes to take the sheets off two chairs.
Brock I must say, I’d forgotten just how grim it can be.
Alice All that mumbling.
Brock I know. And those bloody hymns. They really do you no good at all. (He wraps a sheet over his arm.) Would you like to sit down in here? I’m afraid the whole house is horribly unused.
The women sit. Brock holds his hand out to Dorcas.
You and I haven’t had a proper chance to meet.
Alice I hope you didn’t mind …
Brock Not at all.
Alice … my bringing Dorcas along.
Brock She swelled the numbers.
Dorcas I had the afternoon off school.
Brock I’m not sure I’d have chosen a funeral …
Dorcas It was fine.
Brock Oh good.
Dorcas Alice told me that you were very good friends …
Brock Well, we are.
Dorcas … who she hadn’t seen for a very long time and she was sure you wouldn’t mind me … you know …
Brock Gatecrashing?
Dorcas Yes.
Brock At the grave.
Dorcas It sounds awful.
Brock You were welcome as far as I was concerned.
Dorcas The only thing was … I never heard his name.
Brock His name was Darwin.
Dorcas Ah.
Susan stands unremarked in the doorway. She has taken her coat off and is plainly dressed in black, with some books under her arm. Her manner is quieter than before, and yet more elegant.
Susan Please, nobody get up for me.
Susan moves down to the front where there are two cases filled with books on the floor.
Brock Ah Susan …
Susan I was just looking out some more books to take back.
Brock Are you all right?
Susan Yes, fine.
Alice Susan, this is Dorcas I told you about.
Susan How do you do?
Dorcas How do you do?
Susan tucks the books away.
Alice I teach Dorcas history.
Brock Good Lord, how long have you done that?
Alice Oh … I’ve been at it some time.
Dorcas Alice is a very good teacher, you know.
Brock I’m sure.
Alice Thank you, Dorcas.
Dorcas We had a poll and Alice came top.
They smile at each other. Unasked, Dorcas gives Alice a cigarette.
Alice Ta.
Brock Where do you teach?
Alice It’s called the Kensington Academy.
Brock I see.
Alice It’s in Shepherd’s Bush.
Dorcas It’s a crammer.
Alice For the daughters of the rich and the congenitally stupid. Dorcas to a T.
Dorcas It’s true.
Alice There’s almost nothing that a teacher can do.
Dorcas Alice says we’re all the prisoners of our genes.
Alice When you actually try to engage their attention, you know that all they can really hear inside their heads is the great thump-thump of their ancestors fucking too freely among themselves.
Dorcas Nothing wrong with that.
Alice No?
Dorcas Stupid people are happier.
Alice Is that what you think?
They smile again. Brock watches.
Brock Well …
Susan Raymond, could you manage to make us some tea?
Brock Certainly, if there’s time …
Susan I’m sure everyone’s in need of it.
Brock smiles and goes out.
Alice rang me this morning. She said she was very keen we should meet.
Alice I didn’t realize you were going back so soon.
Susan It’s a problem, I’m afraid. My husband is a diplomat. We’re posted in Iran. I haven’t been to London for over three years. Then when I heard of Leonard’s death I felt … I just felt very strongly I wanted to attend.
Dorcas Alice was saying he’d lost a lot of his friends.
Susan looks across at Alice.
Susan Yes, that’s true.
Dorcas I didn’t understand what …
Susan He spoke his mind over Suez. In public. He didn’t hide his disgust. A lot of people never forgave him for that.
Dorcas Oh I see.
Pause.
What’s …
Alice It’s a historical incident four years ago, caused a minor kind of stir at the time. It’s also the name of a waterway in Egypt. Egypt is the big brown country up the top right-hand corner of Africa. Africa is a continent …
Dorcas Yes, thank you.
Alice And that’s why nobody was there today.
Alice looks up at Susan but she has turned away.
I got that panic, you know, you get at funerals. I was thinking, I really don’t want to think about death …
Susan Yes.
Alice Anything, count the bricks, count the trees, but don’t think about death … (She smiles.) So I tried to imagine Leonard was still alive, I mean locked in his coffin but still alive. And I was laughing at how he would have dealt with the situation, I mean just exactly what the protocol would be.
Susan He would know it.
Alice Of course. Official procedure in the case of being buried alive. How many times one may tap on the lid. How to rise from the grave without drawing unnecessary attention to yourself.
Susan Poor Leonard.
Alice I know. But he did make me laugh.
Susan looks at her catching the old phrase. Then turns at once to Dorcas.
Susan Alice said I might help you in some way.
Dorcas Well, yes.
Susan Of course. If there’s anything at all. (She smiles.)
Dorcas Did she tell you what the problem was?
Alice There isn’t any problem. You need money, that’s all.
Dorcas Alice said you’d once been a great friend of hers, part of her sort of crowd …
Susan Are they still going then?
Alice They certainly are.
Dorcas And that you might be sympathetic as you’d … well … as you’d known some troubles yourself …
Alice Dorcas needs cash from an impeccable source.
Pause.
Susan I see.
Dorcas I’d pay it back.
Susan Well, I’m sure.
Dorcas I mean it’s only two hundred pounds. In theory I could still get it for myself, perhaps I’ll have to, but Alice felt …
Alice Never mind.
Dorcas No, I think I should, I mean, I think I should say Alice did feel as she’d introduced me to this man …
Pause. Alice looks away.
Just because he was one of her friends … which I just think is silly, I mean, for God’s sake, I’m old enough to live my own life …
Susan Yes.
Dorcas I mean, I am seventeen. And I knew what I was doing. So why the hell should Alice feel responsible?
Susan I don’t know.
Dorcas Anyway the man was a doctor, one of Alice’s famous bent doctors, you know, I just wanted to get hold of some drugs, but he wouldn’t hand over unless I agreed to fool around, so I just … I didn’t think anything of it …
Susan No.
Dorcas It just seemed like part of the price. At the time. Of course I never guessed it would be three months later and, wham, the knitting needles.
Susan Yes.
Pause.
Dorcas I mean, to be honest I could still go to Daddy and tell him. Just absolutely outright tell him. Just say, Daddy I’m sorry but …
Alice Wham the knitting needles.
Dorcas Yes.
Susan looks across at Alice. The two women stare steadily at each other as Dorcas talks.
But of course one would need a great deal of guts.
Pause.
I mean I can’t tell you how awful I feel. I mean, coming straight from a funeral …
Susan suddenly gets up and walks to the door, speaking very quietly.
Susan Well, I’m sure it needn’t delay us for too long …
Dorcas Do you mean …
Susan Kill a child. That’s easy. No problem at all.
Susan opens the door. She has heard Brock with the tea-tray outside.
Ah Raymond, the tea.
Brock I have to tell you the car has arrived.
Susan Oh good.
Brock The driver is saying we must get away at once.
Susan has gone out into the hall. Brock sets the tray down near Dorcas and Alice, and begins to pour.
It must be two years since I made my own tea. Persian labour is disgustingly cheap.
Dorcas I thought you said they …
Alice It’s another name for Iran.
Dorcas Oh I see.
Susan has reappeared with her handbag and now goes to the writing desk. She folds the sheet back and lowers the lid.
Brock Susan I do hope you’re preparing to go.
Susan I will do, I just need a minute or two …
Brock I don’t think we have time to do anything but …
Susan walks over to him.
Susan I do need some tea. Just to wash down my pill.
A pause. Brock smiles.
Brock Yes, of course.
Susan takes the cup from his hand. Then goes back to the desk where she gets out a cheque book and begins to write.
Alice So, Raymond, you must tell us about life in Iran.
Brock I would say we’d been very happy out there. Wouldn’t you, Susan?
Susan Uh-huh.
Brock I think the peace has done us both a great deal of good. We were getting rather frenzied in our last few months here. (He smiles.)
Alice And the people?
Brock The people are fine. In so far as one’s seen them, you know. It’s only occasionally that you manage to get out. But the trips are startling, no doubt about that. There you are.
Brock hands Alice tea.
Alice Thank you.
Brock The sky. The desert. And of course the poverty. Living among people who have to struggle so hard. It can make you see life very differently.
Susan Do I make it to cash?
Alice If you could.
Brock hands Dorcas tea.
Dorcas Thanks.
Brock I do remember Leonard, that Leonard always said, the pleasure of diplomacy is perspective, you see. Looking across distances. For instance, we see England very clearly from there. And it does look just a trifle decadent.
He smiles again and drinks his tea.
Susan I’m lending Dorcas some money.
Brock Oh really, is that wise?
Alice She needs an operation.
Brock What?
Alice The tendons of her hands. If she’s ever to play in a concert hall again.
Brock Do you actually play a …
Susan gets up from her desk.
Susan Raymond, could you take a look at that case? One of those locks is refusing to turn.
Brock Ah yes.
Brock goes to shut the case. Alice watches smiling as Susan walks across to Dorcas to hand her the cheque.
Susan Here you are.
Dorcas Thank you.
Susan Don’t thank us. We’re rotten with cash.
Brock closes the case. Susan gathers the cups on to the tray and places it by the door.
Brock If that’s it, then I reckon we’re ready to go. I’m sorry to turn you out of the house …
Alice That’s all right.
Brock Alice, you must come and see us …
Alice I shall.
Brock My tour has been extended another two years. Dorcas, I’m happy to have met. I hope your studies proceed, under Alice’s tutelage. In the meantime perhaps you might lend me a hand … (He gestures at the case.) Susan’s lifeline. Her case full of books.
Dorcas goes to carry out the smaller case.
Susan, you’re ready?
Susan Yes, I am.
Brock You’ll follow me down?
Susan nods but doesn’t move.
Well … I shall be waiting in the car.
Brock goes out with the large case. Dorcas follows.
Dorcas Alice, we won’t be long will we?
Alice No.
Dorcas It’s just it’s biology tonight and that’s my favourite, (off) Do I put them in the boot?
Brock (off) If you could.
Susan and Alice left alone do not move. A pause.
Susan I knew if I came over I would never return.
She pulls the sheet off the desk. It slinks on to the floor. Then she moves round the room, pulling away all the sheets from the furniture, letting them all fall. Then takes them from the mirrors. Then she lights the standard lamps, the table lamps. The room warms and brightens. Alice sits perfectly still, her legs outstretched. Then Susan turns to look at Alice.
You excite me.
Brock appears at the open door.
Brock Susan. Darling. Are we ready to go?
SCENE NINE
Whitehall. January 1962.
From the dark the sound of a radio interview. The Interviewer is male, serious, a little guarded.
Voice You were one of the few women to be flown into France?
Susan Yes.
Voice And one of the youngest?
Susan Yes.
Voice Did you always have complete confidence in the organization that sent you?
Susan Yes, of course.
Voice Since the war it’s frequently been alleged that Special Operations was amateurish, its recruitment methods were haphazard, some of its behaviour was rather cavalier. Did you feel that at the time?
Susan Not at all.
Voice The suggestion is that it was careless of human life. Did you feel that any of your colleagues died needlessly?
Susan I can’t say.
Voice If you were to …
Susan Sorry, if I could …
Voice By all means.
Susan You believed in the organization. You had to. If you didn’t, you would die.
Voice But you must have had an opinion …
Susan No. I had no opinion. I have an opinion now.
Voice And that is?
Susan That it was one part of the war from which the British emerge with the greatest possible valour and distinction.
/>
A slight pause.
Voice Do you ever get together with former colleagues and talk about the war?
Susan Never. We aren’t clubbable.
The Foreign Office. A large room in Scott’s Palazzo. A mighty painting above a large fireplace in an otherwise barish waiting room. It shows Britannia Colonorum Mater in pseudo-classical style. Otherwise the room is uncheering. A functional desk, some unremarkable wooden chairs, a green radiator. An air of functional disuse. Two people. Susan is standing at one side, smartly dressed again with coat and handbag; Begley stands opposite by an inner door. He is a thin young man with impeccable manners. He is twenty-two.
Begley Mrs Brock, Sir Andrew will see you now. He only has a few minutes, I’m afraid.
At once through the inner door comes Sir Andrew Charleson in a double-breasted blue suit. He is in his early fifties, dark-haired, thickening, almost indolent. He cuts less of a figure than Darwin but he has far more edge.
Charleson Ah Mrs Brock.
Susan Sir Andrew.
Charleson How do you do?
Susan and Charleson shake hands.
We have met.
Susan That’s right.
Charleson The Queen’s Garden Party. And I’ve heard you on the wireless recently. Talking about the war. How extraordinary it must have been.
Pause.
Susan This must seem a very strange request.
Charleson Not in the slightest. We’re delighted to see you here.
Begley takes two chairs out from the wall and places them down opposite each other.
Perhaps I might offer you a drink.
Susan If you are having one.
Charleson Unfortunately not. I’m somewhat liverish.
Susan I’m sorry.
Charleson No, no, it’s a hazard of the job. Half the diplomats I know have bad offal, I’m afraid. (He turns to Begley.) If you could leave us, Begley.
Begley Sir.
Charleson Just shuffle some papers for a while.
Begley goes through the inner door. Charleson gestures Susan to sit.
You mustn’t be nervous, you know, Mrs Brock. I have to encounter many diplomatic wives, many even more distinguished than yourself, with very similar intent. It is much commoner than you suppose.
Susan Sir Andrew, as you know I take very little part in my husband’s professional life …
Charleson Indeed.
Susan Normally, I spend a great deal of time on my own … with one or two friends … of my own … Mostly I like reading, I like reading alone … I do think to be merely your husband’s wife is demeaning for a woman of any integrity at all …