Free The Other Shore by Gao Xingjian Page B

sucker for big crowds. You’re scared, aren’t you?
    Man:
    You’re a devil.
    Card Player:
    Why don’t you try feeling their arses? They’ve all got a bristly tail down there! ( He points to the Crowd’s bottoms and laughs out loud. Then he pushes a deck of cards in front of Man .) Take a card! Let everyone see if it’s a spade or no trumps? ( Turns over a no trump card and flashes it in front of the Crowd .) What is it, is it a spade or not?
    Person A:
    I can’t really tell.
    Card Player:
    What’r you say?
    Person B:
    It looked like—
    Card Player:
    You must have seen it clearly.
    Person C:
    I think I saw a—spade.
    Card Player:
    That’s right! Young lady, what do you think?
    Obedient Girl:
    Spades.
    Card Player:
    That a girl. You’ve made my day. Old Sir, how about you?
    Person D:
    Spades, how can it not be spades?
    Card Player:
    Bless you. ( Suddenly explodes .) How can we let him bullshit us like this and tell us that they’re all no trumps? Huh?
    Crowd:
    It’s spades.
    Of course it’s spades. It can’t be anything else.
    No mistake about it.
    We all saw it.
    We’re all witnesses!
    Card Player:
    You heard what they said, didn’t you? Why did you lie, why did you insist that a spade is no trump? You’re scared, aren’t you? Have you ever tried eating rat meat? A bouncing baby rat, its hair not fully grown and its eyes unopened, the little creature still squeaking when you dip it in the sauce and put it in your mouth, ready for a bite? If you had, then you’d be brave enough to tell the truth. My friend, I’m gonna give you one more chance to tell the truth. Tell me, was it spades or a no trump?
    Man:
    I think…that’s still a no trump.
    Card Player:
    You’re no fun, you make people miserable. Tell me, people, is this guy bad or what?
    Crowd:
    ( Passing the wine pot and taking sips one after another. ) Bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad, bad…
    Card Player:
    ( Takes the wine from them. ) What shall we do with this bad guy?
    Crowd:
    ( Surround Man .) Throw him out!
    Tell him to get out of here!
    Trouble-maker.
    A real pest.
    When he’s here, we’ve got no wine to drink.
    Teach him a lesson!
    Spank him!
    Strip him!
    Take off his pants!
     
    ( The Crowd try to take off Man’s pants. )
     
    Card Player:
    I’m gonna give you a second chance. Think clearly. Think again!
    Man:
    ( Holding up his pants .) But I remember…it looked like a…no trump.
     
    (Card Player tucks the wine pot under his arm and turns away. The Crowd pull at Man as if they were teasing a bird.)
     
    Crowd:
    Tell him to fly!
    What? What did you say?
    Fly like a bird!
    Men are not birds, why should they learn to fly like birds?
    Wow, it’s so fun!
    Fly!
    Lower your head, let your arms fly!
    Card Player:
    My friend, I refuse to believe that you’re a stubborn man.
    Obedient Girl:
    ( Takes pity on Man. ) You can’t turn a spade into a no trump. What’s with you? Please, try to take hold of yourself.
    Man:
    Maybe it was really a spade…
    Obedient Girl:
    Then why did you say it was a no trump?
    Man:
    I think it should be…
    Obedient Girl:
    But what should be is not necessarily the truth.
    Card Player:
    You’re a loser because you’re a pighead. What do you mean by “should be”? It either is or isn’t. To hell with “should be.”
    Man:
    But why can’t we have “should be”?
    Card Player:
    ( Irritated .) Should be my foot! What do you say, should be or not should be?
    Crowd:
    ( Immediately tear at Man .) We don’t want any “should be”!
    We want “yes” or “no”!
    We want spades, not no trumps!
    Down with no trumps!
    Spades are the best!
    Man:
    It…seemed…like a…sp…
    Crowd:
    ( Beating their chests and stamping their feet .) Speak up!
    Louder!
    Can’t hear you!
    You’ve got to clear this up!
    Man:
    Sp…Spa…It’s spades…( On his knees and collapses. )
     
    ( The Crowd surround Card Player and perform a strange and awkward dance. They exit.
    A woman dressed in a white cotton skirt appears. She covers