The Complete Dramatic Works (22 page)

HAMM:
Mine was always that. [
Exit
CLOV
.] Got him that time!

NAGG:
I’m listening.

HAMM:
Scoundrel! Why did you engender me?

NAGG:
I didn’t know.

HAMM:
What? What didn’t you know?

NAGG:
That it’d be you. [
Pause.
]
You’ll give me a sugar-plum?

HAMM:
After the audition.

NAGG:
You swear?

HAMM:
Yes.

NAGG:
On what?

HAMM:
My honour.

[
Pause.
They
laugh
heartily.
]

NAGG:
Two.

HAMM:
One.

NAGG:
One for me and one for –

HAMM:
One! Silence! [
Pause.
]
Where was I? [
Pause.
Gloomily.
]
It’s finished, we’re finished. [
Pause.
]
Nearly finished. [
Pause.
]
There’ll be no more speech. [
Pause.
] Something dripping in my head, ever since the fontanelles. [
Stifled
hilarity
of
NAGG
.] Splash, splash, always on the same spot. [
Pause.
]
Perhaps it’s a little vein. [
Pause.
]
A little artery. [
Pause.
More
animated.
]
Enough of that, it’s story time, where was I? [
Pause.
Narrative
tone.
]
The man came crawling towards me, on his belly. Pale, wonderfully pale and thin,
he seemed on the point of – [
Pause.
Normal
tone.
]
No, I’ve done that bit. [
Pause.
Narrative
tone.
] I
calmly filled my pipe – the meerschaum, lit it with … let us say a vesta, drew a few
puffs. Aah! [
Pause.
]
Well, what is it
you
want? [
Pause.
]
It was an extra-ordinarily bitter day, I remember, zero by the thermometer. But considering
it was Christmas Eve there was nothing … extra-ordinary about that. Seasonable weather,
for once in a way. [
Pause.
] Well, what ill wind blows you my way? He raised his face to me, black with mingled
dirt and tears. [
Pause.
Normal
tone.
]
That should do it. [
Narrative
tone.
]
No, no, don’t look at me, don’t look at me. He dropped his eyes and mumbled something,
apologies I presume. [
Pause.
]
I’m a busy man, you know, the final touches, before the festivities, you know what
it is. [
Pause.
Forcibly.
]
Come on now, what is the object of this invasion? [
Pause.
]
It was a glorious bright day, I remember, fifty by the heliometer, but already the
sun was sinking down into the … down among the dead. [
Normal
tone.
]
Nicely put, that. [
Narrative
tone.
]
Come on now, come on, present your petition and let me resume my labours. [
Pause.
Normal
tone.
]
There’s English for you. Ah well … [
Narrative
tone.
]
It was then he took the plunge. It’s my little one, he said. Tsstss, a little one,
that’s bad. My little boy, he said, as if the sex mattered. Where did he come from?
He named the hole. A good half-day, on horse. What are you insinuating? That the place
is still inhabited? No no, not a soul, except himself and the child – assuming he
existed. Good. I inquired about the situation at Kov, beyond the gulf. Not a sinner.
Good. And you expect me to believe you have left your little one back there, all alone,
and alive into the bargain? Come now! [
Pause.
]
It was a howling wild day, I remember, a hundred by the anemometer. The wind was
tearing up the dead pines and sweeping them … away. [
Pause.
Normal
tone.
]
A bit feeble, that. [
Narrative
tone.
]
Come on, man, speak up, what is it you want from me, I have to put up my holly. [
Pause.
]
Well to make it short it finally transpired that what he wanted from me was … bread
for his brat. Bread? But I have no bread, it doesn’t agree with me. Good. Then perhaps
a little corn? [
Pause.
Normal
tone.
]
That should do it. [
Narrative
tone.
]
Corn, yes, I have corn, it’s true, in my granaries. But use your head. I give you
some corn, a pound, a pound and a half, you bring it back to your child and you make
him – if he’s still alive – a nice pot of porridge [
NAGG
reacts
],
a nice pot and a half of porridge, full of nourishment. Good. The colours come back
into his little cheeks – perhaps. And then? [
Pause.
]
I lost patience. [
Violently.
]
Use your head, can’t you, use your head, you’re on earth, there’s no cure for that!
[
Pause.
]
It was an exceedingly dry day, I remember, zero by the hygrometer. Ideal weather,
for my lumbago. [
Pause.
Violently.
]
But what in God’s name do you imagine? That the earth will awake in spring? That
the rivers and seas will run with fish again? That there’s manna in heaven still for
imbeciles like you? [
Pause.
] Gradually I cooled down, sufficiently at least to ask him how long he had taken
on the way. Three whole days. Good. In what condition he had left the child. Deep
in sleep. [
Forcibly.
]
But deep in what sleep, deep in what sleep already? [
Pause.
]
Well to make it short I finally offered to take him into my service. He had touched
a chord. And then I imagined already that I wasn’t much longer for this world. [
He
laughs.
Pause.
]
Well? [
Pause.
] Well? Here if you were careful you might die a nice natural death, in peace and
comfort. [
Pause.
]
Well? [
Pause.
]
In the end he asked me would I consent to take in the child as well – if he were
still alive. [
Pause.
]
It was the moment I was waiting for. [
Pause.
]
Would I consent to take in the child … [
Pause.
]
I can see him still, down on his knees, his hands flat on the ground, glaring at
me with his mad eyes, in defiance of my wishes. [
Pause.
Normal
tone.
]
I’ll soon have finished with this story. [
Pause.
]
Unless I bring in other characters. [
Pause.
]
But where would I find them? [
Pause.
]
Where would I look for them? [
Pause.
He
whistles.
Enter
CLOV
.] Let us pray to God.

NAGG:
Me sugar-plum!

CLOV:
There’s a rat in the kitchen!

HAMM:
A rat! Are there still rats?

CLOV:
In the kitchen there’s one.

HAMM:
And you haven’t exterminated him?

CLOV:
Half. You disturbed us.

HAMM:
He can’t get away?

CLOV:
No.

HAMM:
You’ll finish him later. Let us pray to God.

CLOV:
Again!

NAGG:
Me sugar-plum!

HAMM:
God first! [
Pause.
]
Are you right?

CLOV:
[
Resigned.
]
Off we go.

HAMM:
[
To
NAGG
.] And you?

NAGG:
[
Clasping
his
hands,
closing
his
eyes,
in
a
gabble.
]
Our Father which art –

HAMM:
Silence! In silence! Where are your manners? [
Pause.
] Off we go. [
Attitudes
of
prayer.
Silence.
Abandoning
his
attitude,
discouraged.
]
Well?

CLOV:
[
Abandoning
his
attitude.
]
What a hope! And you?

HAMM:
Sweet damn all! [
To
NAGG
.] And you?

NAGG:
Wait! [
Pause.
Abandoning
his
attitude.
]
Nothing doing!

HAMM:
The bastard! He doesn’t exist!

CLOV:
Not yet.

NAGG:
Me sugar-plum!

HAMM:
There are no more sugar-plums!

[
Pause.
]

NAGG:
It’s natural. After all I’m your father. It’s true if it hadn’t been me it would
have been someone else. But that’s no excuse. [
Pause.
]
Turkish Delight, for example, which no longer exists, we all know that, there is
nothing in the world I love more. And one day I’ll ask you for some, in return for
a kindness, and you’ll promise it to me. One must live with the times. [
Pause.
]
Whom did you call when you were a tiny boy, and were frightened, in the dark? Your
mother? No. Me. We let you cry. Then we moved you out of earshot, so that we might
sleep in peace. [
Pause.
]
I was asleep, as happy as a king, and you woke me up to have me listen to you. It
wasn’t indispensable, you didn’t really need to have me listen to you. Besides I didn’t
listen to you. [
Pause.
]
I hope the day will come when you’ll really need to have me listen to you, and need
to hear my voice, any voice. [
Pause.
]
Yes, I hope I’ll live till then, to hear you calling me like when you were a tiny
boy, and were frightened, in the dark, and I was your only hope. [
Pause,
 
NAGG
knocks
on
lid
of
 
NELL
’
s
bin.
Pause.
] Nell! [
Pause.
He
knocks
louder.
Pause.
Louder.
]
Nell! [
Pause,
 
NAGG
sinks
back
into
his
bin,
closes
the
lid
behind
him.
Pause.
]

HAMM:
Our revels now are ended. [
He
gropes
for
the
dog.
] The dog’s gone.

CLOV:
He’s not a real dog, he can’t go.

HAMM:
[
Groping.
]
He’s not there.

CLOV:
He’s lain down.

HAMM:
Give him up to me. [
CLOV
picks
up
the
dog
and
gives
it
to 
HAMM
.
HAMM
holds
it
in
his
arms.
Pause,
 
HAMM
throws
away
the
dog.
]
Dirty brute! [
CLOV
begins
to
pick
up
the
objects
lying
on
the
ground.
]
What are you doing?

CLOV:
Putting things in order. [
He
straightens
up.
Fervently.
] I’m going to clear everything away!

[
He
starts
picking
up
again.
]

HAMM:
Order!

CLOV:
[
Straightening
up.
]
I love order. It’s my dream. A world where all would be silent and still and each
thing in its last place, under the last dust.

[
He
starts
picking
up
again.
]

HAMM:
[
Exasperated.
]
What in God’s name do you think you are doing?

CLOV:
[
Straightening
up.
]
I’m doing my best to create a little order.

HAMM:
Drop it!

[
CLOV
drops
the
objects
he
has
picked
up.
]

CLOV:
After all, there or elsewhere.

[
He
goes
towards
door
.]

HAMM:
[
Irritably
.]
What’s wrong with your feet?

CLOV:
My feet?

HAMM:
Tramp! Tramp!

CLOV:
I must have put on my boots.

HAMM:
Your slippers were hurting you?

[
Pause.
]

CLOV:
I’ll leave you.

HAMM:
No!

CLOV:
What is there to keep me here?

HAMM:
The dialogue. [
Pause.
]
I’ve got on with my story. [
Pause.
]
I’ve got on with it well. [
Pause.
Irritably.
]
Ask me where I’ve got to.

CLOV:
Oh, by the way, your story?

HAMM:
[
Surprised.
]
What story?