Camera on him. His arm stretching.
Mr Martin? Mr Disson’s office. Mr Disson … Ah, you know what it’s about (She laughs.) Yes … Yes.
Camera on him. He leans forward, his arm stretching.
Oh, it’s been dispatched? Oh good. Mr Disson will be glad.
She moves under his touch.
Oh, I will. Of course I will.
She puts the phone down. He withdraws his hand.
Mr Martin sends his apologies. The order has been dispatched.
The intercom buzzes. She switches through. WILLY’S voice.
Yes?
WILLY. Oh, Wendy, is Mr Disson there?
WENDY. Did you want to speak to him, Mr Torrance?
WILLY. No. Just ask him if I might borrow your services for five minutes.
WENDY. Mr Torrance wants to know if he might borrow my services for five minutes.
DISSON. What’s happened to his own secretary?
WENDY. Mr Disson would like to know what has happened to your own secretary.
WILLY. She’s unwell. Gone home. Just five minutes, that’s all.
DISSON gestures towards the door.
WENDY. Be with you in a minute, Mr Torrance.
WILLY. Please thank Mr Disson for me.
The intercom switches off.
WENDY. Mr Torrance would like me to thank you for him.
DISSON. I heard.
WENDY goes through the inner door into WILLY’S office, shuts it.
Silence.
DISSON sits still, the chiffon round his eyes. He looks towards the door.
He hears giggles, hissing, gurgles, squeals.
He goes to the door, squats by the handle, raises the chiffon, tries to look through the keyhole. Can see nothing through the keyhole. He drops the chiffon, puts his ear to the door. The handle presses into his skull. The sounds continue.
Sudden silence.
The door has opened.
A pair of woman’s legs stand by his squatting body.
He freezes, slowly puts forward a hand, touches a leg. He tears the chiffon from his eyes. It hangs from his neck. He looks up.
DIANA looks down at him.
Behind her, in the other room, WENDY is sitting, taking dictation from WILLY, who is standing.
DIANA. What game is this?
He remains.
Get up. What are you doing? What are you doing with that scarf? Get up from the floor. What are you doing?
DISSON. Looking for something.
DIANA. What?
WILLY walks to the door, smiles, closes the door.
What were you looking for? Get up.
DISSON (standing). Don’t speak to me like that. How dare you speak to me like that? I’ll knock your teeth out.
She covers her face.
What were you doing in there? I thought you’d gone home. What were you doing in there?
DIANA. I came back.
DISSON. You mean you were in there with both of them? In there with both of them?
DIANA. Yes! So what?
Pause.
DISSON (calmly). I was looking for my pencil, which had rolled off my desk. Here it is. I found it, just before you came in, and put it in my pocket. My eyes hurt. I borrowed Wendy’s scarf, to calm my eyes. Why are you getting so excited?
Disson’s office. Day.
DISSON at his desk, writing, WENDY walks to the cabinet, examines a file. Silence.
DISSON. What kind of flat do you have, Wendy?
WENDY. Quite a small one, Mr Disson. Quite pleasant.
DISSON. Not too big for you, then? Too lonely?
WENDY. Oh no, it’s quite small. Quite cosy.
DISSON. Bathroom fittings any good?
WENDY. Adequate, Mr Disson. Not up to our standard.
Pause.
DISSON. Live there alone, do you?
WENDY. No, I share it with a girl friend. But she’s away quite a lot of the time. She’s an air hostess. She wants me to become one, as a matter of fact.
DISSON. Listen to me, Wendy. Don’t ever … dream of becoming an air hostess. Never. The glamour may dazzle from afar, but, believe you me, it’s a mess of a life … a mess of a life …
He watches WENDY walk to her desk with a file and then back to the cabinet.
Were you lonely as a child?
WENDY. No.
DISSON. Nor was I. I had quite a lot of friends. True friends. Most of them live abroad now, of course – banana planters, oil engineers, Jamaica, the Persian Gulf … but if I were to meet them tomorrow, you know … just like that … there’d be no strangeness, no awkwardness at all. We’d continue where we left off, quite naturally.
WENDY bends low at the cabinet.
He stares at her buttocks.
It’s a matter of a core of affection, you see … a core of undying affection …
Suddenly WENDY’S body appears in enormous close-up. Her buttocks fill the screen.
His hands go up to keep them at bay.
His elbow knocks a round table lighter from his desk.
Picture normal.
WENDY turns from the cabinet, stands upright.
WENDY. What was that?
DISSON. My lighter.
She goes to his desk.
WENDY. Where is it?
She kneels, looks under the desk. The lighter is at his feet. She reaches for it. He kicks it across the room.
(Laughing.) Oh, Mr Disson, why did you do that?
She stands. He stands. She goes towards the lighter. He gets to it before her, stands with it at his feet. He looks at her. She stops.
What’s this?
DISSON feints his body, left to right
DISSON. Come on.
WENDY. What?
DISSON. Tackle me. Get the ball.
WENDY. What do I tackle with?
DISSON. Your feet.
She moves forward deliberately.
He dribbles away, turns, kicks the lighter along the carpet towards her. Her foot stops the lighter. She turns with it at her foot.
Ah!
She stands, legs apart, the lighter between them, staring at him.
She taps her foot.
WENDY. Come on, then!
He goes towards her. She eludes him. He grasps her arm.
That’s a foul!
He drops her arm.
DISSON. Sorry.
She stands with the lighter between her feet.
WENDY. Come on, come on. Tackle me, tackle me. Come on, tackle me! Get the ball! Fight for the ball!
He begins to move, stops, sinks to the floor. She goes to him.
What’s the matter?
DISSON. Nothing. All right. Nothing.
WENDY. Let me help you up.
DISSON. No. Stay. You’re very valuable in this office. Good worker. Excellent. If you have any complaints, just tell me. I’ll soon put them right. You’re a very efficient secretary. Something I’ve always needed Have you everything you want? Are your working conditions satisfactory?
WENDY. Perfectly.
DISSON. Oh good. Good … Good.
Disson’s house. Bedroom. Night
DISSON and DIANA in bed, reading. She looks at him.
DIANA. You seem a little subdued … lately.
DISSON. Me? Not at all. I’m reading the Life of Napoleon, that’s all.
DIANA. No, I don’t mean now, I mean generally. Is there –?
DISSON. I’m not at all subdued. Really.
Pause.
DIANA. It’s our first anniversary next Wednesday, did you know that?
DISSON. Of course I did. How could I forget? We’ll go out together in the evening. Just you and I. Alone.
DIANA. Oh. Good
DISSON. I’m also giving a little tea party in the office, in the afternoon. My mother and father’ll be up.
DIANA. Oh good.
Pause.
DISSON. How have you enjoyed our first year?
DIANA. It’s been wonderful. It’s been a very excitin
g year.
Pause.
DISSON. You’ve been marvellous with the boys.
DIANA. They like me.
DISSON. Yes, they do. They do.
Pause.
It’s been a great boon, to have you work for the firm.
DIANA. Oh, I’m glad. I am glad.
Pause.
Be nice to get away to Spain.
Pause.
DISSON. You’ve got enough money, haven’t you? I mean, you have sufficient money to see you through, for all you want?
DIANA. Oh yes. I have, thank you.
Pause.
DISSON. I’m very proud of you, you know.
DIANA. I’m proud of you.
Silence.
Disson’s office.
DISSON. Have you written to Corley?
WENDY. Yes, Mr Disson.
DISSON. And Turnbull?
WENDY. Yes, Mr Disson.
DISSON. And Erverley?
WENDY. Yes, Mr Disson.
DISSON. Carbon of the Erverley letter, please.
WENDY. Here you are, Mr Disson.
DISSON. Ah. I see you’ve spelt Erverley right.
WENDY. Right?
DISSON. People tend, very easily, to leave out the first R and call him Everley. You haven’t done that.
WENDY. No. (She turns.)
DISSON. Just a minute. How did you spell Turnbull? You needn’t show me. Tell me.
WENDY. TURNBULL.
DISSON. Quite correct.
Pause.
Quite correct. Now what about –?
The screen goes black.
Where are you?
Pause.
I can’t see you.
WENDY. I’m here, Mr Disson.
DISSON. Where?
WENDY. You’re looking at me, Mr Disson.
DISSON. You mean my eyes are open?
Pause.
WENDY. I’m where I was. I haven’t moved.
DISSON. Are my eyes open?
WENDY. Mr Disson, really …
DISSON. Is this you? This I feel?
WENDY. Yes.
DISSON. What, all this I can feel?
WENDY. You’re playing one of your games, Mr Disson. You’re being naughty again.
Vision back.
DISSON looks at her.
You sly old thing.
Disley’s surgery.
A torch shines in DISSON’S eyes, first right, then left. Torch out. Light on.
DISLEY. There’s nothing wrong with them.
DISSON. What then?
DISLEY. I only deal with eyes, old chap. Why do you come to me? Why don’t you go to someone else?
DISSON. Because it’s my eyes that are affected.
DISLEY. Look. Why don’t you go to someone else?
DISLEY begins to clear away his instruments.
Nothing worrying you, is there?
DISSON. Of course not. I’ve got everything I want.
DISLEY. Getting a holiday soon?
DISSON. Going to Spain.
DISLEY. Lucky man.
Pause.
DISSON. Look. Listen. You’re my oldest friend. You were going to be the best man at my wedding.
DISLEY. That’s right.
DISSON. You wrote a wonderful speech in my honour.
DISLEY. Yes.
DISSON. But you were ill. You had to opt out.
DISLEY. That’s right.
Pause.
DISSON. Help me.
Pause.
DISLEY. Who made the speech? Your brother-in-law, wasn’t it?
DISSON. I don’t want you to think I’m not a happy man. I am.
DISLEY. What sort of speech did he make?
Disson’s house. Sitting-room. Evening.
DISSON. Tell me about Sunderley.
WILLY. Sunderley?
DISSON. Tell me about the place where you two were born. Where you played at being brother and sister.
WILLY. We didn’t have to play at being brother and sister. We were brother and sister.
DIANA. Stop drinking.
DISSON. Drinking? You call this drinking? This? I used to down eleven or nine pints a night! Eleven or nine pints! Every night of the stinking week! Me and the boys! The boys! And me! I’d break any man’s hand for … for playing me false. That was before I became a skilled craftsman. That was before …
He falls silent, sits.
WILLY. Sunderley was beautiful.
DISSON. I know.
WILLY. And now it’s gone, for ever.
DISSON. I never got there.
DISSON stands, goes to get a drink.
He turns from drinks table.
What are you whispering about? Do you think I don’t hear? Think I don’t see? I’ve got my memories, too. Long before this.
WILLY. Yes, Sunderley was beautiful.
DISSON. The lake.
WILLY. The lake.
DISSON. The long windows.
WILLY. From the withdrawing-room.
DISSON. On to the terrace.
WILLY. Music playing.
DISSON. On the piano.
WILLY. The summer nights. The wild swans.
DISSON. What swans? What bloody swans?
WILLY. The owls.
DISSON. Negroes at the gate, under the trees.
WILLY. No Negroes.
DISSON. Why not?
WILLY. We had no Negroes.
DISSON. Why in God’s name not?
WILLY. Just one of those family quirks, Robert.
DIANA (standing). Robert.
Pause.
Come to bed.
DISSON. You can say that, in front of him?
DIANA. Please.
DISSON. In front of him?
He goes to her.
Why did you marry me?
DIANA. I admired you. You were so positive.
DISSON. You loved me.
DIANA. You were kind.
DISSON. You loved me for that?
DIANA. I found you admirable in your clarity of mind, your surety of purpose, your will, the strength your achievements had given you –
DISSON. And you adored me for it?
WILLY (to DISSON). Can I have a private word with you?
DISSON. You adored me for it?
Pause.
DIANA. You know I did.
WILLY. Can I have a private word with you, old chap? (To DIANA.) Please.
DIANA goes out of the room.
DISSON looks at WILLY
DISSON. Mind how you tread, Bill. Mind … how you tread, old Bill, old boy, old Bill.
WILLY. Listen. I’ve been wondering. Is there anything on your mind?
DISSON. My mind? No, of course not.
WILLY. You’re not dissatisfied with my work, or anything?
DISSON. Quite the contrary. Absolutely the contrary.
WILLY. Oh good. I like the work very much. Try to do my best.
DISSON. Listen. I want you to be my partner. Hear me? I want you to share full responsibility … with me.
WILLY. Do you really?
DISSON. Certainly.
WILLY. Well, thank you very much. I don’t know what to say.
DISSON. Don’t say anything.
Disson’s office.
WILLY at the door.
WILLY. Coming, old chap?
DISSON. Yes.
WILLY (to WENDY). Important lunch, this. But I think we’ll swing it, don’t you, Robert? (To WENDY. ) Great prospects in store.
DISSON and WILLY go out. WENDY clips some papers together.
DIANA comes in through the inner door.
WENDY. Oh, hullo, Mrs Disson.
DIANA. Hullo, Wendy.
Pause.
DIANA watches WENDY clip the papers.
Do you like being a secretary?
WENDY. I do, yes. Do you?
DIANA. I do, yes.
Pause.
I understand your last employer touched your body … rather too much.
WENDY. It wasn’t a ques
tion of too much, Mrs Disson. One touch was enough for me.
DIANA. Oh, you left after the first touch?
WENDY. Well, not quite the first, no.
Pause.
DIANA. Have you ever asked yourself why men will persist in touching women?
WENDY. No, I’ve never asked myself that, Mrs Disson.
DIANA. Few women do ask themselves that question.
WENDY. Don’t they? I don’t know. I’ve never spoken to any other women on the subject.
DIANA. You’re speaking to me.
WENDY. Yes. Well, have you ever asked yourself that question, Mrs Disson?
DIANA. Never. No.
Pause.
Have lunch with me today. Tell me about yourself.
WENDY. I’ll have lunch with you with pleasure.
DISSON comes in. They look at him. He at them. Silence.
DISSON. Forgotten … one of the designs.
DIANA smiles at him. WENDY clips her papers. He goes to his desk, collects a folder, stands upright.
DIANA looks out of the window. WENDY clips papers. He looks at them, goes out. DIANA and WENDY remain silent.
Disson’s house. Games room.
DISSON and WILLY playing ping-pong. They are in the middle of a long rally. THE TWINS watch. WILLY is on the attack, DISSON playing desperately, retrieving from positions of great difficulty. He cuts, chops, pushes.
TWINS (variously). Well done, Dad. Good shot, Dad. Good one, Dad.
WILLY forces DISSON on to the forehand. He slams viciously. DISSON skids.
The screen goes black.
Good shot!
DISSON. Aaah!
Vision back.
DISSON is clutching the table, bent over it.
WILLY throws the ball on to the table.
It bounces gently across it.
Disson’s house. Sitting-room. Evening.
DISSON’S parents.
MOTHER. Have I seen that mirror before?
DISSON. No. It’s new.
MOTHER. I knew I hadn’t seen it. Look at it, John. What a beautiful mirror.
FATHER. Must have cost you a few bob.
MOTHER. Can you see the work on it, John? I bet it must be a few years old, that mirror.
DISSON. It’s a few hundred years old.
FATHER. I bet it must have cost you a few bob.
DISSON. It wasn’t cheap.
FATHER. Cheap?
MOTHER. What a beautiful mirror.
FATHER. Cheap? Did you hear what he said, Dora? He said it wasn’t cheap!
MOTHER. No, I bet it wasn’t.
FATHER (laughing). Cheap!
Pause.
MOTHER. Mrs Tidy sends you her love.
DISSON. Who?
FATHER. Mrs Tidy. The Tidys.
DISSON. Oh yes. How are they?
Harold Pinter Plays 3 Page 9