The Complete Dramatic Works (6 page)

VLADIMIR:
You want to get rid of him?

POZZO:
He wants to cod me, but he won’t.

VLADIMIR:
You want to get rid of him?

POZZO:
He imagines that when I see how well he carries I’ll be tempted to keep him on in
that capacity.

ESTRAGON:
You’ve had enough of him?

POZZO:
In reality he carries like a pig. It’s not his job.

VLADIMIR:
You want to get rid of him?

POZZO:
He imagines that when I see him indefatigable I’ll regret my decision. Such is his
miserable scheme. As thought I were short of slaves! [
All
three
look
at
 
LUCKY
.] Atlas, son of Jupiter! [
Silence
.]
Well, that’s that I think. Anything else? [
Vaporizer.
]

VLADIMIR:
You want to get rid of him?

POZZO:
Remark that I might just as well have been in his shoes and he in mine. If chance
had not willed otherwise. To each one his due.

VLADIMIR:
You waagerrim?

POZZO:
I beg your pardon?

VLADIMIR:
You want to get rid of him?

POZZO:
I do. But instead of driving him away as I might have done, I mean instead of simply
kicking him out on his arse, in the goodness of my heart I am bringing him to the
fair, where I hope to get a good price for him. The truth is you can’t drive such
creatures away. The best thing would be to kill them.
[
LUCKY
weeps
.]

ESTRAGON:
He’s crying.

POZZO:
Old dogs have more dignity. [
He
proffers
his
handkerchief
to 
ESTRAGON
.] Comfort him, since you pity him. [
ESTRAGON
hesitates.
]
Come on. [
ESTRAGON
takes
the
handkerchief
.]
Wipe away his tears, he’ll feel less forsaken.
[
ESTRAGON
hesitates
.]

VLADIMIR:
Here, give it to me, I’ll do it.
[
ESTRAGON
refuses
to
give
the
handkerchief
Childish
gestures
.]

POZZO:
Make haste, before he stops, [
ESTRAGON
approaches
 
LUCKY
and
makes
to
wipe
his
eyes.
 
LUCKY
kicks
him
violently
in
the
shins.
ESTRAGON
drops
the
handkerchief,
recoils,
staggers
about
the
stage
howling
with
pain
.] Hanky!
[
LUCKY
puts
down
bag
and
basket,
picks
up
handkerchief,
gives
it
to 
POZZO
,
goes
back
to
his
place,
picks
up
bag
and
basket
.]

ESTRAGON:
Oh the swine! [
He
pulls
up
the
leg
of
his
trousers
.] He’s crippled me!

POZZO:
I told you he didn’t like strangers.

VLADIMIR:
[
To
 
ESTRAGON
.] Show. [
ESTRAGON
shows
his
leg. To
 
POZZO
,
angrily.
]
He’s bleeding!

POZZO:
It’s a good sign.

ESTRAGON:
[
On
one
leg
.]
I’ll never walk again!

VLADIMIR:
[
Tenderly
.] I’ll carry you. [
Pause
.] If necessary.

POZZO:
He’s stopped crying. [
To
 
ESTRAGON
.] You have replaced him as it were. [
Lyrically
.]
The tears of the world are a constant quantity. For each one who begins to weep,
somewhere else another stops. The same is true of the laugh. [
He
laughs.
]
Let us not then speak ill of our generation, it is not any unhappier than its predecessors.
[
Pause
.]
Let us not speak well of it either. [
Pause
.]
Let us not speak of it at all. [
Pause.
Judiciously
.]
It is true the population has increased.

VLADIMIR:
Try and walk.
[
ESTRAGON
takes
a
few
limping
steps,
stops
before
 
LUCKY
 
and
spits
on
him,
then
goes
and
sits
down
on
the
mound
.]

POZZO:
Guess who taught me all these beautiful things. [
Pause.
Pointing
to
 
LUCKY
.] My Lucky!

VLADIMIR:
[
Looking
at
the
sky
.]
Will night never come?

POZZO:
But for him all my thoughts, all my feelings, would have been of common things. [
Pause.
With
extraordinary
vehemence
.]
Professional worries! [
Calmer
.]
Beauty, grace, truth of the first water, I knew they were all beyond me. So I took
a knook.

VLADIMIR:
[
Startled
from
his
inspection
of
the
sky
.]
A knook?

POZZO:
That was nearly sixty years ago … [
He
consults
his
watch
]
…
yes, nearly sixty. [
Drawing
himself
up
proudly
.]
You wouldn’t think it to look at me, would you? Compared to him I look like a young
man, no? [
Pause
.] Hat! [
LUCKY
puts
down
the
basket
and
takes
off
his
hat.
His
long
white
hair
falls
about
his
face.
He
puts
his
hat
under
his
arm
and
picks
up
the
basket
.]
Now look. [
POZZO
takes
off
his
hat.
1
He
is
completely
bald.
He
puts
on
his
hat
again
.]
Did you see?

VLADIMIR:
And now you turn him away? Such an old and faithful servant.

ESTRAGON:
Swine!
[
POZZO
more
and
more
agitated
.]

VLADIMIR:
After having sucked all the good out of him you chuck him away like a … like a banana
skin. Really ….

POZZO:
[
Groaning,
clutching
his
head
.]
I can’t bear it … any longer … the way he goes on … you’ve no idea … it’s terrible
… he must go … [
He
waves
his
arms
]
… I’m going mad … [
He
collapses,
his
head
in
his
hands
]
… I can’t bear it … any longer …
[
Silence.
All
look
at
 
POZZO
.]

VLADIMIR:
He can’t bear it.

ESTRAGON:
Any longer.

VLADIMIR:
He’s going mad.

ESTRAGON:
It’s terrible.

VLADIMIR:
[
To
 
LUCKY
.] How dare you! It’s abominable! Such a good master! Crucify him like that! After
so many years! Really!

POZZO:
[
Sobbing
.]
He used to be so kind … so helpful … and entertaining … my good angel … and now …
he’s killing me.

ESTRAGON:
[
To
 
VLADIMIR
.] Does he want to replace him?

VLADIMIR:
What?

ESTRAGON:
Does he want someone to take his place or not?

VLADIMIR:
I don’t think so.

ESTRAGON:
What?

VLADIMIR:
I don’t know.

ESTRAGON:
Ask him.

POZZO:
[
Calmer
.]
Gentlemen, I don’t know what came over me. Forgive me. Forget all I said. [
More
and
more
his
old
self
.]
I don’t remember exactly what it was, but you may be sure there wasn’t a word of
truth in it. [
Drawing
himself
up,
striking
his
chest
.]
Do I look like a man that can be made to suffer? Frankly? [
He
rummages
in
his
pockets.
]
What have I done with my pipe?

VLADIMIR:
Charming evening we’re having.

ESTRAGON:
Unforgettable.

VLADIMIR:
And it’s not over.

ESTRAGON:
Apparently not.

VLADIMIR:
It’s only beginning.

ESTRAGON:
It’s awful.

VLADIMIR:
Worse than the pantomime.

ESTRAGON:
The circus.

VLADIMIR:
The music-hall.

ESTRAGON:
The circus.

POZZO:
What can I have done with that briar?

ESTRAGON:
He’s a scream. He’s lost his dudeen.
[
Laughs
noisily
.]

VLADIMIR:
I’ll be back.
[
He
hastens
towards
the
wings
.]

ESTRAGON:
End of the corridor, on the left.

VLADIMIR:
Keep my seat.
[
Exit
 
VLADIMIR
.]

POZZO:
I’ve lost my Kapp and Peterson!

ESTRAGON:
[
Convulsed
with
merriment.
]
He’ll be the death of me!

POZZO:
[
Looking
up
.]
You didn’t by any chance see – [
He
misses
VLADIMIR
.] Oh! He’s gone! Without saying
good-bye
! How could he! He might have waited!

ESTRAGON:
He would have burst.

POZZO:
Oh! [
Pause
.]
Oh well then of course in that case …

ESTRAGON:
Come here.

POZZO:
What for?

ESTRAGON:
You’ll see.

POZZO:
You want me to get up?

ESTRAGON:
Quick! [
POZZO
gets
up
and
goes
over
beside
ESTRAGON
.
ESTRAGON
points
off
.]
Look!

POZZO:
[
Having
put
on
his
glasses
.]
Oh I say!

ESTRAGON:
It’s all over.
[
Enter
 
VLADIMIR
,
sombre.
He
shoulders
 
LUCKY
out
of
his
way,
kicks
over
the
stool,
comes
and
goes
agitatedly
.]

POZZO:
He’s not pleased.

ESTRAGON:
[
To
VLADIMIR
.] You missed a treat. Pity. [
VLADIMIR
halts,
straightens
the
stool,
comes
and
goes,
calmer
.]

POZZO:
He subsides. [
Looking
round
.]
Indeed all subsides. A great calm descends. [
Raising
his
hand
.]
Listen! Pan sleeps.

VLADIMIR:
Will night never come?
[
All
three
look
at
the
sky
.]

POZZO:
You don’t feel like going until it does?

ESTRAGON:
Well you see –

POZZO:
Why it’s very natural, very natural. I myself in your situation, if I had an appointment
with a Godin … Godet
… Godot … anyhow, you see who I mean, I’d wait till it was black night before I gave
up. [
He
looks
at
the
stool
.]
I’d like very much to sit down, but I don’t quite know how to go about it.