Waiting for Godot (4 page)

to dally with you a moment, before I venture any further. Basket! (
Lucky advances, gives the basket, goes back to his place.
) The fresh air stimulates the jaded appetite. (
He opens the basket, takes out a piece of chicken and a bottle of wine.
) Basket! (
Lucky
advances, picks up the basket and goes back to his place.
) Further! (
Lucky takes a step back.
) He stinks. Happy days!

He drinks from the bottle, puts it down and begins to eat. Silence. #

Vladimir and Estragon, cautiously at first, then more boldly, begin to circle about Lucky, inspecting him up and down. Pozzo eats his chicken voraciously, throwing away the bones after having sucked them. Lucky sags slowly, until bag and basket touch the
ground, then straightens up with a start and begins to sag again. Rhythm of one sleeping on his feet.

ESTRAGON:

What ails him?

VLADIMIR:

He looks tired.

ESTRAGON:

Why doesn't he put down his bags?

VLADIMIR:

How do I know? (
They close in on him.
) Careful!

ESTRAGON:

Say something to him.

VLADIMIR:

Look!

ESTRAGON:

What?

VLADIMIR:

(
pointing
)
.
His neck!

ESTRAGON:

(
looking at the neck
)
.
I see nothing.

VLADIMIR:

Here.

Estragon goes over beside Vladimir.

ESTRAGON:

Oh I say!

VLADIMIR:

A running sore!

ESTRAGON:

It's the rope.

VLADIMIR:

It's the rubbing.

ESTRAGON:

It's inevitable.

VLADIMIR:

It's the knot.

ESTRAGON:

It's the chafing.

They resume their inspection, dwell on the face.

VLADIMIR:

(
grudgingly
)
.
He's not bad looking.

ESTRAGON:

(
shrugging his shoulders, wry face.
) Would you say so?

VLADIMIR:

A trifle effeminate.

ESTRAGON:

Look at the slobber.

VLADIMIR:

It's inevitable.

ESTRAGON:

Look at the slaver.

VLADIMIR:

Perhaps he's a halfwit.

ESTRAGON:

A cretin.

VLADIMIR:

(
looking closer
)
.
Looks like a goiter.

ESTRAGON:

(
ditto
)
.
It's not certain.

VLADIMIR:

He's panting.

ESTRAGON:

It's inevitable.

VLADIMIR:

And his eyes!

ESTRAGON:

What about them?

VLADIMIR:

Goggling out of his head. #

ESTRAGON:

Looks like his last gasp to me.

VLADIMIR:

It's not certain. (
Pause.
) Ask him a question.

ESTRAGON:

Would that be a good thing?

VLADIMIR:

What do we risk?

ESTRAGON:

(
timidly
)
.
Mister . . .

VLADIMIR:

Louder.

ESTRAGON:

(
louder
)
.
Mister . . .

POZZO:

Leave him in peace! (
They turn toward Pozzo who, having finished eating, wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.
) Can't you see he wants to rest? Basket! (
He strikes a match and begins to light his pipe. Estragon sees the chicken bones on the ground
and stares at them greedily. As Lucky does not move Pozzo throws the match angrily away and jerks the rope.
) Basket! (
Lucky starts, almost falls, recovers his senses, advances, puts the bottle in the basket and goes back to his place. Estragon stares at the
bones. Pozzo strikes another match and lights his pipe.
) What can you expect, it's not his job. (
He pulls at his pipe, stretches out his legs.
) Ah! That's better.

ESTRAGON:

(
timidly
)
.
Please Sir . . .

POZZO:

What is it, my good man?

ESTRAGON:

Er . . . you've finished with the . . . er . . . you don't need the . . . er . . . bones, Sir?

VLADIMIR:

(
scandalized
)
.
You couldn't have waited?

POZZO:

No no, he does well to ask. Do I need the bones? (
He turns them over with the end of his whip.
) No, personally I do not need them any more. (
Estragon takes a step towards the bones.
) But . . . (
Estragon stops short
) . . . but in theory the bones go to the carrier. He is therefore the one to ask. (
Estragon turns towards Lucky, hesitates.
) Go on, go on, don't be afraid, ask him, he'll tell you.

Estragon goes towards Lucky, stops before him.

ESTRAGON:

Mister . . . excuse me, Mister . . .

POZZO:

You're being spoken to, pig! Reply! (
To Estragon.
) Try him again.

ESTRAGON:

Excuse me, Mister, the bones, you won't be wanting the bones?

Lucky looks long at Estragon.

POZZO:

(
in raptures
)
.
Mister! (
Lucky bows his head.
) Reply! Do you want them or don't you? (
Silence of Lucky. To Estragon.
) They're yours. (
Estragon makes a dart at the bones, picks them up and begins to gnaw them.
) I don't like it. I've never known him to refuse a bone before. (
He looks anxiously at Lucky.
) Nice business it'd be if he fell sick on me!

He puffs at his pipe.

VLADIMIR:

(
exploding
)
.
It's a scandal!

Silence. Flabbergasted, Estragon stops gnawing, looks at Pozzo and Vladimir in turn. Pozzo outwardly calm. Vladimir embarrassed.

POZZO:

(
To Vladimir
)
.
Are you alluding to anything in particular?

VLADIMIR:

(
stutteringly resolute
)
.
To treat a man . . . (
gesture towards Lucky
) . . . like that . . . I think that . . . no . . . a human being . . . no . . . it's a scandal!

ESTRAGON:

(
not to be outdone
)
.
A disgrace!

He resumes his gnawing.

POZZO:

You are severe. (
To Vladimir.
) What age are you, if it's not a rude question? (
Silence.
) Sixty? Seventy? (
To Estragon.
) What age would you say he was?

ESTRAGON:

Eleven.

POZZO:

I am impertinent. (
He knocks out his pipe against the whip, gets up.
) I must be getting on. Thank you for your society. (
He reflects.
) Unless I smoke another pipe before I go. What do you say? (
They say nothing.
) Oh I'm only a small smoker, a very small smoker, I'm not in the habit of smoking two pipes one on top of the other, it makes (
hand to heart, sighing
) my heart go pit-a-pat. (
Silence.
) It's the nicotine, one absorbs it in spite of one's precautions. (
Sighs.
) You know how it is. (
Silence.
) But perhaps you don't smoke? Yes? No? It's of no importance. (
Silence.
) But how am I to sit down now, without affectation, now that I have risen? Without appearing to –how shall I say– without appearing to falter. (
To Vladimir.
) I beg your pardon? (
Silence.
) Perhaps you didn't speak? (
Silence.
) It's of no importance. Let me see . . .

He reflects.

ESTRAGON:

Ah! That's better.

He puts the bones in his pocket.

VLADIMIR:

Let's go.

ESTRAGON:

So soon?

POZZO:

One moment! (
He jerks the rope.
) Stool! (
He points with his whip. Lucky moves the stool.
) More! There! (
He sits down. Lucky goes back to his place.
) Done it!

He fills his pipe.

VLADIMIR:

(
vehemently
)
.
Let's go!

POZZO:

I hope I'm not driving you away. Wait a little longer, you'll never regret it.

ESTRAGON:

(
scenting charity
)
.
We're in no hurry.

POZZO:

(
having lit his pipe
)
.
The second is never so sweet . . . (
he takes the pipe out of his mouth, contemplates it
) . . . as the first I mean. (
He puts the pipe back in his mouth.
) But it's sweet just the same.

VLADIMIR:

I'm going.

POZZO:

He can no longer endure my presence. I am perhaps not particularly human, but who cares? (
To Vladimir.
) Think twice before you do anything rash. Suppose you go now while it is still day, for there is no denying it is still day. (
They all look up at the sky.
) Good. (
They stop looking at the sky.
) What happens in that case– (
he takes the pipe out of his mouth, examines it
) –I'm out– (
he relights his pipe
) –in that case– (
puff
) –in that case– (
puff
) –what happens in that case to your appointment with this . . . Godet . . .

Godot . . . Godin . . . anyhow you see who I mean, who has your future in his hands . . . (
pause
) . . . at least your immediate future?

VLADIMIR:

Who told you?

POZZO:

He speaks to me again! If this goes on much longer we'll soon be old friends.

ESTRAGON:

Why doesn't he put down his bags?

POZZO:

I too would be happy to meet him. The more people I meet the happier I become. From the meanest creature one departs wiser, richer, more conscious of one's blessings. Even you . . . (
he looks at them ostentatiously in turn to make it clear they are both
meant
) . . . even you, who knows, will have added to my store.

ESTRAGON:

Why doesn't he put down his bags?

POZZO:

But that would surprise me.

VLADIMIR:

You're being asked a question.

POZZO:

(
delighted
)
.
A question! Who? What? A moment ago you were calling me Sir, in fear and trembling. Now you're asking me questions. No good will come of this!

VLADIMIR:

(
to Estragon
)
.
I think he's listening.

ESTRAGON:

(
circling about Lucky
)
.
What?

VLADIMIR:

You can ask him now. He's on the alert.

ESTRAGON:

Ask him what?

VLADIMIR:

Why he doesn't put down his bags.

ESTRAGON:

I wonder.

VLADIMIR:

Ask him, can't you?

POZZO:

(
who has followed these exchanges with anxious attention, fearing lest the question get lost
)
.
You want to know why he doesn't put down his bags, as you call them.

VLADIMIR:

That's it.

POZZO:

(
to Estragon
)
.
You are sure you agree with that?

ESTRAGON:

He's puffing like a grampus.

POZZO:

The answer is this. (
To Estragon
)
.
But stay still, I beg of you, you're making me nervous!

VLADIMIR:

Here.

ESTRAGON:

What is it?

VLADIMIR:

He's about to speak.

Estragon goes over beside Vladimir. Motionless, side by side, they wait.