Free Resurrection Blues by Arthur Miller Page B

promise first? You have the tanks.
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    FELIX: Yes, I have the tanks and he doesn’t, so he’s the one who has to make the promises!
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    JEANINE: Well now!—So much for all this high spiritual change you’ve gone through . . .
    HENRI: I have an idea; for just this moment, right now, try to think of this problem as though you did not have a gun.
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    FELIX: Right. Okay, I’m ready! You want me to talk?—here I am. To Jeanine: So where is he? Slaps his hips . No guns! I’m all ears! Where’s god?
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    Stanley enters.
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    JEANINE: Stanley!
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    Stanley comes and embraces her.
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    STANLEY: How you doin’, Jeanie, you’re lookin’ good.
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    JEANINE: Is . . . everything all right?
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    FELIX: Have you spoken with him?
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    STANLEY: . . . Here’s the thing.
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    Pause.
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    What it all comes down to is—he’s having big trouble making up his mind.
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    HENRI: About . . . ?
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    STANLEY: Getting crucified.
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    FELIX: What’s his problem?
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    STANLEY: Well . . . if he doesn’t, will people feel he’s let them down?
    JEANINE: I’m surprised at you, Stanley; his deciding to be crucified is not going to depend on whether he’s disappointing people’s expectations!
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    STANLEY: He is serious about changing the world, Jeanie, everything he does he’s got to think of the effect on people. What’s wrong with that?
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    JEANINE: What’s wrong is that it changes him into one more shitty politician! Whatever he does he’ll do because it’s right, not to get people’s approval!
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    FELIX: So where does that leave matters? Violently . . . . And try not to use so many words, will you?
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    STANLEY: My candid, rock bottom opinion?
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    FELIX: What.
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    STANLEY: Ignore him.
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    HENRI: Brilliant.
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    FELIX: I can’t ignore him, he’s broken the law, he’s . . .
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    STANLEY: General, I don’t have to tell you, even now up in the villages the crime rate’s been dropping since he showed up, people are getting ready for heaven, right? A lot of them like starting to boil the water, right? And much less garbage in the street and whitewashing their houses and brushing their teeth—and the number screwing their daughters is like way down, you know.—In other words, this is a very good thing he got going for you, so how about just turning your attention . . . elsewhere?
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    HENRI: Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.
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    FELIX: And will he “turn his attention elsewhere”? His people will go right on agitating against me, won’t they. As though I had nothing to do but go around murdering people; as though I’d done nothing to improve the country, as though the British are not building two hotels, and the Dutch and Japanese weren’t starting to talk to us. . . . What the hell more does he want of me!
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    STANLEY: Well for one thing . . . I don’t know like maybe let’s say, if you like stopped—you know, like knocking off union organizers . . .
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    FELIX: I have no outstanding orders against organizers!
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    JEANINE: Of course not, they’re all dead.
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    FELIX: I’m sorry, decent people don’t join unions!
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    EMILY: I’m in a union.
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    FELIX: You!
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    EMILY, smoothing his cheek: Don’t take it to heart, dear, it’s only the Directors Guild of America.
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    FELIX: I can’t believe this, Emily . . . you are in a union?
    EMILY: Felix dear, you really do have to start thinking differently . . .
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    FELIX, furious: How can I think differently if nobody else is thinking differently?—So where are we, Stanley—the war goes on? Yes or no?
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    STANLEY: . . . Could I please ask a favor, General? Would you leave us alone for a couple minutes?
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    FELIX: No! We’ve got to settle this!
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    STANLEY: I can’t talk to her otherwise, okay?
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    EMILY: There’s nothing