The Complete Dramatic Works (7 page)

ESTRAGON:
Could I be of any help?

POZZO:
If you asked me perhaps.

ESTRAGON:
What?

POZZO:
If you asked me to sit down.

ESTRAGON:
Would that be a help?

POZZO:
I fancy so.

ESTRAGON:
Here we go. Be seated, sir, I beg of you.

POZZO:
No, no, I wouldn’t think of it! [
Pause.
Aside.
]
Ask me again.

ESTRAGON:
Come come, take a seat, I beseech you, you’ll get pneumonia.

POZZO:
You really think so?

ESTRAGON:
Why it’s absolutely certain.

POZZO:
No doubt you are right. [
He
sits
down
.]
Done it again! [
Pause
.]
Thank you, dear fellow. [
He
consults
his
watch
.]
But I must really be getting along, if I am to observe my schedule.

VLADIMIR:
Time has stopped.

POZZO:
[
Cuddling
his
watch
to
his
ear.
]
Don’t you believe it, sir, don’t you believe it. [
He
puts
his
watch
back
in
his
pocket.
]
Whatever you like, but not that.

ESTRAGON:
[
To
POZZO
.] Everything seems black to him today.

POZZO:
Except the firmament! [
He
laughs,
pleased
with
this
witticism
.]
But I see what it is, you are not from these parts, you don’t know what our twilights
can do. Shall I tell you? [
Silence,
ESTRAGON
is
fiddling
with
his
boot
again,
VLADIMIR
with
his
hat
.]
I can’t refuse you. [
Vaporizer
.]
A little attention, if you please. [
VLADIMIR
 
and 
ESTRAGON
continue
their
fiddling,
LUCKY
is
half
asleep,
POZZO
cracks
his
whip
feebly.
]
What’s the matter with this whip? [
He
gets
up
and
cracks
it
more
vigorously,
finally
with
success.
LUCKY
jumps.
VLADIMIR
’
s
hat,
ESTRAGON
’
s
boot,
LUCKY
’
s
hat,
fall
to
the
ground.
POZZO
throws
down
the
whip
.]
Worn out, this whip. [
He
looks
at
 
VLADIMIR
and
ESTRAGON
.] What was I saying?

VLADIMIR:
Let’s go.

ESTRAGON:
But take the weight off your feet, I implore you, you’ll catch your death.

POZZO:
True. [
He
sits
down.
To
 
ESTRAGON
.] What is your name?

ESTRAGON:
Adam.

POZZO:
[
Who
hasn’t
listened.
]
Ah, yes! The night. [
He
raises
his
head
.]
But be a little more attentive, for pity’s sake, otherwise we’ll never get anywhere.
[
He
looks
at
the
sky
.] Look. [
All
look
at
the
sky
except
 
LUCKY
who
is
dozing
off
again,
 
POZZO
jerks
the
rope
.]
Will you look at the sky, pig! [
LUCKY
looks
at
the
sky.
]
Good, that’s enough. [
They
stop
looking
at
the
sky
.]
What is there so extraordinary about it? Qua sky. It is pale and luminous like any
sky at this hour of the day. [
Pause.
]
In these latitudes. [
Pause
.] When the weather is fine. [
Lyrical.
]
An hour ago [
He
looks
at
his
watch,
prosaic
]
roughly [
Lyrical
]
after having poured forth ever since [
He
hesitates,
prosaic
]
say ten o’clock in the morning [
Lyrical
]
tirelessly torrents of red and white light it begins to lose its effulgence, to grow
pale [
Gesture
of
the
two
hands
lapsing
by
stages
],
pale, ever a little paler, a little paler until [
Dramatic
pause,
ample
gesture
of
the
two
hands
flung
wide
apart
]
pppfff! finished! it comes to rest. But – [
Hand
raised
in
admonition
]
–
but behind this veil of gentleness and peace night is charging [
Vibrantly
]
and will burst upon us [
Snaps
his
fingers
]
pop! like that! [
His
inspiration
leaves
him
]
just when we least expect it. [
Silence.
Gloomily.
]
That’s how it is on this bitch of an earth.

[
Long
silence
.]

ESTRAGON:
So long as one knows.

VLADIMIR:
One can bide one’s time.

ESTRAGON:
One knows what to expect.

VLADIMIR:
No further need to worry.

ESTRAGON:
Simply wait.

VLADIMIR:
We’re used to it.
[
He
picks
up
his
hat,
looks
inside
it,
shakes
it,
puts
it
on.
]

POZZO:
How did you find me? [
VLADIMIR
and
ESTRAGON
look
at
him
blankly.
]
Good? Fair? Middling? Poor? Positively bad?

VLADIMIR:
[
First
to
understand
.]
Oh very good, very very good.

POZZO:
[
To
ESTRAGON
.] And you, sir?

ESTRAGON:
Oh tray bong, tray tray tray bong.

POZZO:
[
Fervently.
]
Bless you, gentlemen, bless you! [
Pause
.]
I have such need of encouragement! [
Pause.
]
I weakened a little towards the end, you didn’t notice?

VLADIMIR:
Oh perhaps just a teeny weeny little bit.

ESTRAGON:
I thought it was intentional.

POZZO:
You see my memory is defective.
[
Silence
.]

ESTRAGON:
In the meantime nothing happens.

POZZO:
You find it tedious?

ESTRAGON:
Somewhat.

POZZO:
[
To
VLADIMIR
.] And you, sir?

VLADIMIR:
I’ve been better entertained.
[
Silence,
POZZO
struggles
inwardly
.]

POZZO:
Gentlemen, you have been … civil to me.

ESTRAGON:
Not at all.

VLADIMIR:
What an idea!

POZZO:
Yes yes, you have been correct. So that I ask myself is there anything I can do in
my turn for these honest fellows who are having such a dull, dull time.

ESTRAGON:
Even ten francs would be welcome.

VLADIMIR:
We are not beggars!

POZZO:
Is there anything I can do, that’s what I ask myself, to cheer them up? I have given
them bones, I have talked to them about this and that, I have explained the twilight,
admittedly. But is it enough, that’s what tortures me, is it enough?

ESTRAGON:
Even five.

VLADIMIR:
[
To
 
ESTRAGON
,
indignantly.
]
That’s enough!

ESTRAGON:
I couldn’t accept less.

POZZO:
Is it enough? No doubt. But I am liberal. It’s my nature. This evening. So much the
worse for me. [
He
jerks
the
rope
. 
LUCKY
looks
at
him
.]
For I shall suffer, no doubt
about that. [
He
picks
up
the
whip.
]
What do you prefer? Shall we have him dance, or sing, or recite, or think, or –

ESTRAGON:
Who?

POZZO:
Who! You know how to think, you two?

VLADIMIR:
He thinks?

POZZO:
Certainly. Aloud. He even used to think very prettily once, I could listen to him
for hours. Now … [
He
shudders
.]
So much the worse for me. Well, would you like him to think something for us?

ESTRAGON:
I’d rather he’d dance, it’d be more fun?

POZZO:
Not necessarily. estragon: Wouldn’t it, Didi, be more fun?

VLADIMIR:
I’d like well to hear him think.

ESTRAGON:
Perhaps he could dance first and think afterwards, if it isn’t too much to ask him.

VLADIMIR:
[
To
 
POZZO
.] Would that be possible?

POZZO:
By all means, nothing simpler. It’s the natural order.
[
He
laughs
briefly
.]

VLADIMIR:
Then let him dance.
[
Silence
.]

POZZO:
Do you hear, hog?

ESTRAGON:
He never refuses?

POZZO:
He refused once. [
Silence
.]
Dance, misery! [
LUCKY
 
puts
down
the
basket,
advances
towards
front,
turns
to
 
POZZO
.
LUCKY
dances.
He
stops
.]

ESTRAGON:
Is that all?

POZZO:
Encore!
[
LUCKY
executes
the
same
movements,
stops
.]

ESTRAGON:
Pooh! I’d do as well myself. [
He
imitates
 
LUCKY
,
almost
falls.
]
With a little practice.

POZZO:
He used to dance the farandole, the fling, the brawl, the jig, the fandango, and
even the hornpipe. He capered. For joy. Now that’s the best he can do. Do you know
what he calls it?

ESTRAGON:
The Scapegoat’s Agony.

VLADIMIR:
The Hard Stool.

POZZO:
The Net. He thinks he’s entangled in a net.

VLADIMIR:
[
Squirming
like
an
aesthete.
]
There’s something about it …
[
LUCKY
makes
to
return
to
his
burdens
.]

POZZO:
Woaa!
[
LUCKY
stiffens
.]

ESTRAGON:
Tell us about the time he refused.

POZZO:
With pleasure, with pleasure. [
He
fumbles
in
his
pockets.
]
Wait. [
He
fumbles.
]
What have I done with my spray? [
He
fumbles
.]
Well now isn’t that … [
He
looks
up,
consternation
on
his
features.
Faintly.
]
I can’t find my pulverizer!

ESTRAGON
[
Faintly
.] My left lung is very weak! [
He
coughs
feebly.
In
ringing
tones.
]
But my right lung is as sound as a bell!

POZZO:
[
Normal
voice.
]
No matter! What was I saying. [
He
ponders
.]
Wait. [
Ponders
.]
Well now isn’t that … [
He
raises
his
head
.]
Help me!

ESTRAGON:
Wait!

VLADIMIR:
Wait!