Free The Collected Shorter Plays by Samuel Beckett Page B

tell—” Shit! Where’s the verb?
    A What verb?
    B The main!
    A I give up.
    B Hold on till I find the verb and to hell with all this drivel in the middle. [
Reading
.] “. . . were I but . . . could I but . . .” —Jesus!— “. . . though it be . . . be it but . . .”—Christ!—ah! I have it—“. . . I was unfortunately incapable . . .” Done it!
    A How does it run now?
    B [
solemnly
] “. . . morbidly sensitive to the opinion of others at the time . . .”—drivel drivel drivel—“. . . I was unfortunately incapable—”
[
The lamp goes out. Long pause
.]
    A Would you care to change seats? [
Pause
.] You see what I mean? [
Pause
.] That you come over here with your papers and I go over there. [
Pause
.] Don’t whinge, Morvan, that will get us nowhere.
    B It’s my nerves. [
Pause
.] Ah if I were only twenty years younger I’d put an end to my sufferings!
    A Fie! Never say such horrid things! Even to a well-wisher!
    B May I come to you? [
Pause
.] I need animal warmth.
[
Pause
.]
    A [
coldly
] As you like. [
B gets up and goes towards A
.] With your files if you don’t mind. [
B goes back for papers and briefcase, returns towards A, puts them on A’s table, remains standing. Pause
.] Do you want me to take you on my knees?
[
Pause. B goes back for his chair, returns towards A, stops before A’s table with the chair in his arms. Pause
.]
    B [
shyly
] May I sit beside you? [
They look at each other
.] No? [
Pause
.] Then opposite. [
He sits down opposite A, looks at him. Pause
.] Do we continue?
    A [
forcibly
] Let’s get it over and go to bed.
[
B rummages in his papers
.]
    B I’ll take the lamp. [
He draws it towards him
.] Please God it holds out. What would we do in the dark the pair of us? [
Pause
.] Have you matches?
    A Never without. [
Pause
.] What we would do? Go and stand by the window in the starlight. [
B’s lamp goes on again
.] That is to say you would.
    B [
fervently
] Oh no not alone I wouldn’t!
    A Pass me a sheet. [
B passes him a sheet
.] Switch off. [
B switches off
.] Oh lord, yours is on again.
    B This gag has gone on long enough for me.
    A Just so. Go and switch it off.
[
B goes to his table, switches off his lamp. Pause
.]
    B What am I to do now? Switch it on again?
    A Come back.
    B Switch on then till I see where I’m going.
[
A switches on. B goes back and sits down opposite A. A switches off, goes to window with sheet, halts, contemplates the sky
.]
    A And to think all that is nuclear combustion! All that faerie! [
He stoops over sheet and reads haltingly
.] “Aged ten, runs away from home first time, brought back next day, admonished, forgiven.” [
Pause
.] “Aged fifteen, runs away from home second time, dragged back a week later, thrashed, forgiven.” [
Pause
.] “Aged seventeen, runs away from home third time, slinks back six months later with his tail between his legs, locked up, forgiven.” [
Pause
.] “Aged seventeen runs away from home last time, crawls back a year later on his hands and knees, kicked out, forgiven.”
[
Pause. He moves up against window to inspect C’s face, to do which he has to lean out a little way, with his back to the void
.]
    B Careful!
[
Long pause, all three dead still
.]
    A [
sadly
] Tsstss! [
He resumes his equilibrium
.] Switch on. [
B switches on. A goes back to his table, sits, returns the sheet to B
.] It’s heavy going, but we’re nearly home.
    B How does he look?
    A Not at his best.
    B Has he still got that little smile on his face?
    A Probably.
    B What do you mean, probably, haven’t you just been looking at him?
    A He didn’t have it then.
    B [
with satisfaction
] Ah! [
Pause
.] Could never make out what he thought he was doing with that smile on his face. And his eyes? Still goggling?
    A Shut.
    B Shut!
    A Oh it was only so as not to see me. He must have opened them again since. [
Pause. Violently
.] You’d need to stare them in the face day and night! Never take your eyes off them for a week on end! Unbeknownst to