by Beth Steel
Burns Any chance a’ some breakfast? Been up and out at dawn gettin’ this lot.
Mrs Peel Megan, make Burns some breakfast.
Mrs Peel starts putting the supplies away. Megan makes the breakfast. Secret glances are shared between James and Megan in the silence. Burns switches the radio on.
Radio The government has announced today that more vouchers will be distributed (Tunes . . .) Intervals of showers (Tunes . . .) Terror and dread fell upon them by the might of your arm. (Tunes . . .) And finally may we remind Civilians that there is a strong UV warning tomorrow . . . (Tunes . . . crazy sermon.) The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me! –
Burns switches it off.
Mrs Peel Evangelicals, nuttier than a squirrel’s fart.
Burns Spoutin’ their horse shit on every network.
James Same on the streets too.
Burns Man wants to eat his breakfast and listen to the news.
Mrs Peel Aint broadcast nothin’ true in years.
Turner and Bug enter, sweating and soiled from shovelling, they zoom in on the supplies.
Burns They don’t say the half a’ it, I know that.
Turner (Pulls out the whiskey.) Arh yes!
James Dint even announce that bomb in Leeds.
Everyone turns to James. Beat.
Turner What?
Burns Bomb in Leeds?
Turner What did you just say?
Bug Leeds has been bombed!
James No.
Turner What did you just say!
Beat.
James (Quietly.) That bomb in Leeds at Security Headquarters. Thought you knew.
Burns When did this happen?
James Four . . . five week ago.
Bug Four, five week ago!
Turner A’ you takin’ the piss out a’ us?
James What?
Turner I said a’ you takin’ the piss out a’ us?
James No.
Turner Think you can say bullshit and we’ll believe you?
Burns What happened?
James A bomb went off –
Turner We know that!
Burns Who set it off?
James Civilians.
Pause.
Bug Civilians?
Burns How’d they get inta Headquarters?
James They blew off the gates.
Turner How’d they get a bomb?
James They made it.
Burns And then what?
James They sieged the Headquarters.
Beat.
Turner Sieged?
Burns How many were they?
James Eight.
Bug Eight Civilians sieged a’ Headquarters?
Turner What were the Security doin’!
James (Shrugs.) Sleepin’ mostly.
Turner You tryin’ to be funny?
James It was night, they took ’em by surprise and opened fire.
Bug What?
James They had guns, worked in an arms factory.
Turner And what? We payin’ ’em with arms now!
Bug They’ll a smuggled ’em out.
Turner I know that.
Burns What was the damage?
James Communication lines destroyed, women’s records burnt, twelve Security dead.
Beat.
Turner What happened to the eight?
James Six dead and two executed.
Bug Why dint we know about this?
Turner How did you find out?
James Been told, word a’ it spread amongst the Security.
Turner But nothin’ official came through?
James shakes his head.
Burns Playin’ down the threat.
Bug What d’you mean?
Burns There was always gonna come a day when they’d rise.
Turner (To Bug.) Eight dead, dint rise at all.
Burns It just the beginnin’.
Turner (To Bug.) They failed.
Burns They’ll do it again.
Turner (To Burns.) It one incident.
Burns You call that an incident?
Turner It dint change nothin’.
Bug Twelve Security dead?
Turner We soldiers, soldiers die.
Bug Yeah but overseas.
Burns War just got closer.
Turner Ah for fucks sake, eight Civilians!
Bug You think it gonna lead to that?
Turner (To Bug.) Would you shut up!
Burns It been eight but more will follow.
Turner They aint never fought back.
Burns When the elections were cancelled they did.
Turner And after that day they never done it again.
Pause. Turner, Burns and Bug become very aware of Mrs Peel.
Turner What did the Civilians a’ Leeds do James, after this here siege?
James What d’you mean?
Turner They dint run on over there and join in?
James No.
Turner They dint try again in the weeks that followed?
James (Shakes his head.)
Turner No. They’ve accepted how things are, same as they accepted how things were gonna be all them years ago, and they aint never done nothin’ about it between. (To Bug.) Bring some a’ that whiskey out with us.
Bug lifts out a bottle.
James They were young, the eight.
Turner Makes no difference.
Bug and Turner make to leave.
James Think they angry.
Turner Eight angry teenagers . . . (Whistles.) the times we livin’ in.
James Weren’t teenagers, been about my age.
Turner Now I’m really shittin’ it.
Burns It gonna be us they’ll come for.
Bug But we’re doin’ our job.
Turner We’re here cause the country needed to us be.
Burns Weren’t meant to become this.
Turner Everythin’ we done had to be done.
Bug What were the government supposed to do?
Turner We aint here cause a’ some ideology.
Burns Oh I know that, there are no ideas anymore.
Turner There’s the Recovery!
Beat.
Turner And we’re here to ensure that that happens.
Turner makes to leave.
Burns We’ve got the same debt as a third world country, Turner.
Turner We are no third world country.
Burns We could a’ prepared for what was to come whilst we still had the money to do so, but no, no, he signed us up to war and debt.
Turner Don’t blame him when it was every other prick in office before him.
Burns Debt to fight wars that aint even ours.
Turner Aint ours? The cunts turned the tap off!
Burns We did not need to join them. And now we’ll never be free. We can’t pay them back, and they don’t want us too. They’d rather have us like this . . . a colony.
Turner You’re gettin’ our enemies mixed up.
Burns They are not our ally.
Turner And they’re not our enemy. Take one look at history and it’ll tell you that, yeah, they can be a nasty cunt, but not to us. They always been on our side and when this is over they’ll help us with the Recovery.
Burns There’s no Recovery!
Turner This is England!
Burns This is not England!
Turner Then what’s your Brian fightin’ for if it’s not his country?
Burns My lads not fightin’ for his country.
Turner walks away.
Burns He’s fightin’ for a pipe.
Turner storms off and Bug follows.
Burns They’re fightin’ for whatever’s left!
Burns belts back a long drink. Silence.
Mrs Peel Like strawberry pie, Burns?
Burns What?
Mrs Peel You like strawberry pie?
Burns Never had it.
Mrs Peel Megan, fetch me a tin a’ strawberries for Burn’s pie.
Megan leaves. Mrs Pe
el looks at James, he leaves.
Mrs Peel Ask you a question, Burns?
Burns Everybody else has.
Mrs Peel Why a’ you in the Security?
Burns Ask me another.
Mrs Peel You regret it?
Beat.
Burns My granddad was a coal miner. Started on the shovel at seventeen. Worked down there till he was fifty five. Lungs packed up when he was fifty nine. He was not a morbid man but over the years he often spoke about his death. Said, I spent most a’ my life underground, and when I’m dead, don’t put me back down there. (Turns to Mrs Peel) We buried him.
Mrs Peel Why?
Burns Couple a’ month before his funeral, he goes to someone else’s. My grandma’s sat with him in the crematorium. The sad music starts, the doors raised, the coffin gets half way in. My granddad walks out. Grandma leaves when its over, finds him waitin’ outside. First thing he says to her, I spent most a’ my life down there, and when I’m dead, I’m goin’ back down there.
Mrs Peel Which one does that answer?
Burns Both.
They share a smile. Mrs Peel walks away.
Burns How about whippin’ up some cream for my pie Mrs P?
Mrs Peel I don’t do requests or suggestions, Burns. Nor do I do abbreviations. I’m Mrs Peel, always.
Megan enters with the tin.
Mrs Peel Pie’ll be ready this evenin’.
Burns leaves.
Megan They never shouted like that.
Mrs Peel They ballin’ all the time.
Megan Never shouted about them things. Think he said, should a’ prepared. You been told what would happen.
Mrs Peel What a’ you sayin’ Megan?
Megan gives the tin to Mrs Peel.
Megan This pie just for Burns?
Mrs Peel He havin’ the first slice.
Megan Can I have the second?
Mrs Peel You can have a’ slice too.
Megan Can I help make it?
Mrs Peel You wash the slaughter house floor first.
Megan nods with pursed lips.
Mrs Peel You get their uniforms in a tub.
Megan nods with pursed lips.
Mrs Peel You come and tell me then you can roll the pastry.
Megan nods, Mrs Peel turns away.
James is about to enter – Megan shoots her arm up and makes a fist (hold signal) and James steps back. Mrs Peel turns to Megan, who still has her hand in the air.
Mrs Peel What a’ you doin’?
Megan Just killed a fly.
Mrs Peel Open up that hand.
Megan slowly opens her palm.
Megan Thought I killed a fly. (Looks about.) It gone.
Mrs Peel turns away. Megan looks for James but he isn’t there.
Megan Skin a’ my hands is cracked and sore.
Mrs Peel Rub a little butter on ’em.
Megan Need more than butter.
Mrs Peel Butter’s what you got.
Megan Put some on my face the other night.
Mrs Peel You been abusin’ that butter?
Megan Don’t want my face to wrinkle.
Mrs Peel You use it for cracks and sores only.
Megan sees James’s head – she crosses her arms across her chest (obstacle.) Mrs Peel turns to Megan, who still has her arms across her chest. Mrs Peel stands staring at Megan. Megan moves her hands about her arms as if they were a lovers. Mrs Peel looks at Megan like she’s losing the plot. Megan finally stops.
Megan (Shrugs.) Nice to hold yourself sometimes.
Mrs Peel I’m gonna go and grab hold a’ some sheep balls.
Mrs Peel leaves. James enters.
James She comin’ back?
Megan She gonna’ be a while.
James You sure?
Megan She got her hands full.
James Remembered the tactical signals pretty well.
Megan I did, didn’t I.
Beat.
Megan Have to teach me somethin’ else now.
James Like what?
Megan Have to think a’ somethin’.
Beat.
James Want a’ know some lateral thinkin’?
Megan Don’t have to be from trainin’.
James Don’t know much else.
Megan Dint sound like that earlier.
James Burns and Turner done the talkin’.
Megan You been the one they askin’.
James Dint have much of an opinion about it.
Megan You had the facts.
James Sat there listenin’ mostly s’what I done. Reminded me a’ when I used to go meetin’s with my dad. It been after the Breakdown that. There’d be about fifty a’ us, standin’ or sittin’ in a pokey terrace. I just been a kid, been there listenin’. But the rest a’ ’em been talkin’ and shoutin’ all night. Like I say, been after the Breakdown, could a’ made a bonfire out a’ their anger. Been that way for about a year, meetin’s twice a week. Then he started goin’ less, wasn’t the only one. He been too tired after his shift or worried that the Security, they’d break up meeting sometimes, would have him down as trouble. He still talked about it all in the evenin’s after the news, but he done it with my mum. She always sittin’ there quiet. Dint cry no more. When he been promoted to foreman in the factory he stopped goin’. Last meetin’ we went to there been a dozen a’ us and it finished before the lights went out. (Shifts.) This past year I been the one who’s breakin’ up meetin’s . . . they still have ’em in terraces, but they younger who go to ’em . . . aint been any less a’ ’em each time we went back . . . I’m talkin’ again . . . shouldn’t get used to it.
Megan Aint a bad thing.
James Good thing. That’s why.
Beat.
Megan When I planted the rhubarb Mrs Peel told me she was gonna make a rhubarb juice with it when it was ready. I never had rhubarb juice before but she told me it’s like apple juice but better and I really like apple juice. We started savin’ some sugar aside at the beginnin’ a’ every month for it and after waitin’ a whole year it was ready. It was one a’ the best things I ever tasted. I had a cup a’ it every day for ten days. And then it was gone and I got upset about that. I cried. The next year when the rhubarb was ready Mrs Peel dint make no juice with it. She boiled it up and made me eat it with no sugar for two weeks. That was a long time ago now. Rhubarb’s gonna be ready next month and Mrs Peel promised me she gonna make juice with it. When it’s gone it’s gone. I know that now. I just have to enjoy it whilst its there.
Megan and James lean towards one another – a strange rasping noise.
James What’s that?
Megan (Softly.) Sheep.
Megan and James lean further, until they are inches apart – a distressed rasping noise.
James Don’t sound like sheep.
Megan (Softly.) Mrs Peel’s castratin’ ’em s’why.
James jerks backwards.
James I gotta go.
James rushes off, stops.
James Tonight?
Megan (Beams.) Tonight.
James leaves.
Scene Six
Peak. Sunset.
Turner and Bug are sat eating from their tinned cans in silence.
Bug I tell yer about that seagull? Don’t think I did. When I dropped that deer, eight . . . nine days ago now, anyway, deer’s on the ground. I’m makin’ my way to it when out a’ nowhere a seagull comes down and pecks out the deer’s eyeball. If I’d a’ been any longer gettin’ to it it’d gone straight for its arse hole (Half laughs.) . . .
Turner No fish for ’em.
Beat.
Bug First thing you said since we been out here.
Turner Thinkin’, s’all.
Bug Man can think aloud.
Turner Aint ready in my head yet.
Bug I say stuff that aint ready all the time.
Turner I know. S’why I aint.
Beat.
Bug Thinkin’ about what Burns said?
Turner Nope.
Beat.
Bug Pretty fucked, aint it?
Turner Nope.
Beat.
Bug How’s that.
Turner I’m sick a’ talkin’ about. Sick a’ thinkin’ about it. Don’t even matter to me anymore. Recovery or no Recovery, it aint gonna make no difference to me and what I’m gonna do. I served my country. I done my duty. I aint doin’ it . . . I aint.
Bug What?
Turner Fuck ’em. Fuck ’em all.
Bug What a’ you talkin’ about?
Turner I’m gonna find myself an abandoned farm. Fix it up. And stay the fuck there.
(Beat.)
Could be there too if yer wanted.
(Beat.)
Turner World already got smaller, and it can get even smaller for me. It can get as small as a farm and a couple a’ acres a’ land. It can empty itself a’ everybody till there’s just me and you left. It can burn itself to the ground around us.
Beat.
Turner Man can’t be alone. (Glances at Bug.) I know what time a’ day it is with you and . . . you do me. Way I see it, we’d get along fine anywhere’s.
Beat.
Turner Anyway, that’s what I’m gonna do.
Pause.
Turner What you gone quiet for!
Bug I’m just listenin’.
Turner Told you I dint want a’ say nothin’!
Turner stands.
Turner Said it wrong cause you’re fuckin’ quizzin’ me.
Bug I aint quizzin’ you.
Turner You’re fuckin’ quizzin’ me all the fuckin’ time.
Bug Ah, fuck this.
Turner Yeah, fuck you.
Bug walks away. Both men stand opposite, backs turned. Pause.
Bug Prick.
Turner Wanker.
Bug Cock.
Turner Cock sucker.
Bug Cunt.
Turner Cunty bollocks.
Bug Spunk ball.
Turner Spunk ball?
Bug Spunk ball.
Turner Inventive.
They take out their flasks, swig one back.
Bug Reddest sky I seen tonight.
Turner Reckon it’s gonna rain?
Bug Can’t never tell.
Turner and Bug become alert – the clack and ricochet of stag’s antlers.
Bug Stags.
Turner looks away, but Bug continues to stare out.
Turner Lucky bastards.
Bug They aint ruttin’.
Turner Next life I’m comin’ back as a stag.
Bug They chargin’ forwards, they fightin’.
Turner Fuck me they even get foreplay.
Turner sits down by the fire.
Bug What you been sayin’ earlier.