Waiting for Godot (5 page)

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 though 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 and 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
: (
on the point of tears
). I've lost my Kapp and

Peterson!

ESTRAGON
: (
convulsed with merriment
). He'll be the death of me!

POZZO
: You didn't see by any chance—.(
He misses Vladimir
.) Oh! He's gone! Without saying goodbye! 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, somber. 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 very much like to sit down, but I don't quite know how to go about it.

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 to-day.

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 even 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.