Les Blancs (16 page)

(
She gives him a look and exits
.
RICE
smiles, appreciatively looking after her, then turns
)

RICE
In any case, Madame Neilsen—

CHARLIE
Incidentally, Major—what makes you think the world will sit still for this?

RICE
The
world
, Mr. Morris, will react
de
-cisively as always—with a U.N. resolution! But you don’t actually think they’ll send their sons against blood relatives over some half-demented darky prophet, now do you? (
He turns back to the old lady
) Madame, I am afraid we shall have to quarter troops here.

MADAME
Here
, Major …?

CHARLIE
(
Outraged
) Major Rice—

DEKOVEN
(
Blandly ironic
) Mr. Morris! For—“the peace and well-being of the colony …”

MADAME
(
Shaken, looking about helplessly, in her frailty, for support
) George, I must ask that you postpone this decision until the Reverend returns.

RICE
I’m sorry. This cannot wait. I will appreciate it if the staff would provide such emergency accommodations as possible.

(
PETER
returns with a broom, and
ERIC
draws him off to one side to share the news
)

MADAME
(
An appeal
) The Reverend didn’t build this Mission to be a base for military operations, George.

RICE
Please inform the Reverend that if there are no military operations there will be no Mission.

DEKOVEN
(
Bitterly
) The Major is right! We are white, Madame! We must attend the Major!

MADAME
D
O
we have a choice, Major?

DEKOVEN
In fact why stop with troops?! We have lots of room here! Move the lepers in with the malarials in Ward One! Ward Two—“Disruptive Elements”!

RICE
Madame, we would never take these disagreeable measures if it—

MADAME
Do we have a choice, George?

R
ICE
I assure you we will not interfere with the Mission in any way …

DEKOVEN
And
we
will not interfere with the military!!

MADAME
Do we have a choice!

RICE
No! (
DEKOVEN
turns on his heel and strides out
) Madame, I
am
sorry. Perhaps when this darkness is over you will thank me. Good day. (
He turns to go—and sees
PETER
,
who is about to exit. Calling out
) Peter!

(
The African freezes
)

PETER
Yes, Bwana.

RICE
Would you wait? (
PETER
looks apprehensively from
RICE
to the
SOLDIERS
) Mr. Morris, I’d like you to see this. There is a reason we do things the way we do here. Peter, step over here please. (
PETER
hesitates
) Lively now!

(
PETER
hastens to his side
)

PETER
Bwana.

RICE
(
Studying him
) How is everything, Peter?

PETER
Everything just fine, Bwana.

RICE
“Just fine,” is it?

PETER
Yes, Bwana.

RICE
No complaints then, Peter?

CHARLIE
(
Sharing
PETER
’s humiliation
) Major Rice, I really don’t see—

RICE
You
shall
, Mr. Morris. Nothing in Africa is quite as it seems. Peter and I understand this—
do we not, Peter?
(
PETER
smiles foolishly—not knowing what to make of it, but knowing enough not to say anything
) I do not hate the African. I simply know the proper relationship. I am devoted to the blacks who work for me and whom I have helped to civilize. There are no more loyal people. Isn’t that so, Peter?

CHARLIE
Major—for Christ’s sakes!

PETER
Yes, Bwana.

RICE
Peter is a part of—Africa—that you must not forget in times like these. There is a relationship here, something natural and fine. Peter’s children will have something more because of it … Have I spoken fairly, Peter?

PETER
Yes, Bwana. (
RICE
’s eyes do not leave
CHARLIE
’s
) De young boys—dey read de books … dey go to de city … dey tinks dey want be white men in black skins. Without de white man—
de jungle close on Africa again. De huts be empty of God and de water turn to dust and de tsetse fly rule de savannah again.

RICE
(
A man touched and confirmed
) When you write your articles, Mr. Morris, I trust you will also bear Peter in mind. Thank you, Peter. (
As
PETER
starts off
) Please remember me to your wife.

CHARLIE
“—or else!” (
RICE
shoots him a look and exits after
PETER. CHARLIE
turns immediately to
MME. NEILSEN
) Madame—

MADAME
(
Suddenly seeming very old and fragile
) Mr. Morris, if I were a drinker, I would ask you to fix me a drink. Make yourself one.

CHARLIE
Madame, I am a drinker, and I will fix myself the stiffest drink I can. (
He starts to
) I wish the Reverend were here.

MADAME
So do I, Mr. Morris.

CHARLIE
What would he have done, Madame?

MADAME
Young man, I like you. I enjoy talking to you. I even enjoy listening to you, but—I am tired.

CHARLIE
What would he have done, Madame?

MADAME
What
could
he do? I don’t imagine very much. But I expect that by now he would be sitting with you reflecting on the state of man in the universe and where he has plummeted. I think you would have both enjoyed that. And now I must go to bed.

CHARLIE
Madame, this whole country is about to blow up. The Reverend’s words are important now, vital. (
He sits beside her
) The world would listen to him.

MADAME
(
Sighs
) He is not here, Mr. Morris.

CHARLIE
But you know his sentiments. Perhaps if I could dispatch some word from him … If they’ll listen to anybody, they’ll listen to Torvald Neilsen.

MADAME
Just what would they listen to him about?

CHARLIE
Why, Kumalo, the troops, the whole tragic farce. (
He looks into her eyes expectantly. She says nothing
) If you would authorize
me to release an appeal to reason from the man who to millions
is
Africa—

MADAME
(
She is becoming quite agitated as he keeps pressing, however gently
) He is not
here
, Mr. Morris …

CHARLIE
But you are. And you know his sentiments. A statement from him …

MADAME
Mr. Morris, I cannot speak for him!

CHARLIE
Why not? You know what he would say …

MADAME
(
Painfully
) Yes, I believe I do. He would say—he is a minister, not a statesman … I really must get some rest.

CHARLIE
Madame, forgive me, but whatever the line between the two, it was erased when Major Rice stood here—giving orders …

MADAME
Yes, I agree …

CHARLIE
Then a statement from you …

MADAME
From
me?
It would be of no consequence …

CHARLIE
In your husband’s name …

MADAME
(
She is practically trembling under the stress of his sincerity
) I cannot speak for my husband and I really must go to bed … (
Calls
) Peter …

CHARLIE
But he cares about these people …

MADAME
Yes he does. Of course. They are his “children” …

CHARLIE
Madame, I don’t believe it. Are you suggesting that he would accept this horrible …

MADAME
(
Desperately
) I am suggesting nothing. Except that I am very tired … (
PETER
enters
) Peter … (
She reaches out for his hand
) Would you mind …

(
TSHEMBE
enters. He is dressed in tie and suit for travel, and there is urgency in his manner
)

TSHEMBE
Excuse me, Madame.

MADAME
Tshembe—

TSHEMBE
I am looking for Major Rice.

MADAME
Major Rice? (
She struggles to her feet
)

TSHEMBE
I must have the Major’s permission to see Kumalo in Zatembe. I will need an escort—

(
MADAME
hesitates helplessly and at last
CHARLIE
moves forward
)

CHARLIE
You’re too late, Matoseh.

TSHEMBE
Too late? (
He turns to the old lady
) Madame …?

CHARLIE
Believe me, I’ll do everything I can—

(
TSHEMBE
looks at him blankly
)

MADAME
Tshembe, Kumalo’s been arrested.

TSHEMBE
Arrested?!

(
He glances swiftly at
PETER—
in ironic concession to the older man’s superior wisdom all along
)

CHARLIE
At the airport … Matoseh, I’m not without connections. They’ll hear about this in Washington, I promise you.
All
of it.

TSHEMBE
(
Staring at him. Quietly
) They
know
about it in Washington. (
He nods goodbye to
MADAME
and begins to back slowly away as she watches helplessly
) Madame. (
There is a flicker of drums
)

CHARLIE
I mean it, Tshembe. I’ll do everything I can.

TSHEMBE
(
Smiling cynically
) Will you? Everything? Thank you—(
Bowing his head
)
—Bwana!

(
The lights dim out on the others as the drums throb and he turns away. And now at last it comes—laughter, slowly at first, then rising uncontrollably. The drums build to a climax and—abruptly—silence: the laughter dies in his throat as the
WOMAN
appears. He straightens slowly to face her
)

In the darkness “message” drums begin at the back of the house and move swiftly towards the stage
.

It is about noon, the next day. The hut
.
ABIOSEH
sits reading his Bible with an apple beside him. Several
A
FRICANS
rush across stage and off
.
ERIC
is among them. He enters hurriedly and reaches for the shield of old Abioseh
.

ABIOSEH
Eric, I have been waiting for you.

ERIC
Kumalo has been arrested!

ABIOSEH
What are you doing, boy?

ERIC
(
Grabbing a spear
) They need warriors.

ABIOSEH
Sit down, Eric. I want to talk about your future.

ERIC
I am summoned!

ABIOSEH
Ah. “Summoned.” And shall I also paint
your
cheeks? Sit down, boy.

ERIC
They want me!

(
TSHEMBE
appears unseen upstage and weaves towards them, quite drunk
)

ABIOSEH
What do you know about any of it?

ERIC
I know it is time to drive the invaders into the sea. And that
I
shall carry the spear and shield of our father.

TSHEMBE
(
Enters
) You are half European. Which part of yourself will you drive into the sea!

ERIC
I am African enough not to mock when my people call!

TSHEMBE
And what will you do when your doctor calls, Eric? It takes more than a spear to make a man.

ERIC
What does it take, Tshembe? You teach me! What does it take to be a man? A white wife and son?

(
He starts out
.
TSHEMBE
blocks the doorway. The boy dances from side to side to escape, but
TSHEMBE
is the more agile
)

TSHEMBE
Put down the things, boy. You’re not ready to be—(
ERIC
crashes the length of the spear against
TSHEMBE
’s chest. He takes it from him in a show of strength
)—a warrior yet … I … promise you.

(
He thrusts the spear into the ground and flings
ERIC
back
)

ERIC
You stink of cheap whiskey.

TSHEMBE
Ah, but it flows from expensive ideals!

(
He sets the shield back in place
.
ERIC
seizes the moment to run for it—but
ABIOSEH
trips him and falls on him in good sportsfield style
)

ERIC
Let me go! They need me.

TSHEMBE
And that is the most important thing in the world, isn’t it?

ERIC
Yes.

ABIOSEH
Important enough to go setting fire to farms and murdering people. Why, Eric? Why should you feel that way?

ERIC
I hate them!

ABIOSEH
Why?

TSHEMBE
I find you stranger than he. Why shouldn’t he hate them? Are your eyes so full of God you can’t see what’s become of your own brother?