Waiting for Godot (11 page)

POZZO:
Help!

ESTRAGON:
Is it Godot?

VLADIMIR:
We were beginning to weaken. Now we're sure to see the evening out.

POZZO:
Help!

ESTRAGON:
Do you hear him?

VLADIMIR:
We are no longer alone, waiting for the night, waiting for Godot, waiting for .
. . waiting. All evening we have struggled, unassisted. Now it's over. It's
already tomorrow.

POZZO:
Help!

VLADIMIR:
Time flows again already. The sun will set, the moon rise, and we away . . .
from here.

POZZO:
Pity!

VLADIMIR:
Poor Pozzo!

ESTRAGON:
I knew it was him.

VLADIMIR:
Who?

ESTRAGON:
Godot.

VLADIMIR:
But it's not Godot.

ESTRAGON:
It's not Godot?

VLADIMIR:
It's not Godot.

ESTRAGON:
Then who is it?

VLADIMIR:
It's Pozzo.

POZZO:
Here! Here! Help me up!

VLADIMIR:
He can't get up.

ESTRAGON:
Let's go.

VLADIMIR:
We can't.

ESTRAGON:
Why not?

VLADIMIR:
We're waiting for Godot.

ESTRAGON:
Ah!

VLADIMIR:
Perhaps he has another bone for you.

ESTRAGON:
Bone?

VLADIMIR:
Chicken. Do you not remember?

ESTRAGON:
It was him?

VLADIMIR:
Yes.

ESTRAGON:
Ask him.

VLADIMIR:
Perhaps we should help him first.

ESTRAGON:
To do what?

VLADIMIR:
To get up.

ESTRAGON:
He can't get up?

VLADIMIR:
He wants to get up.

ESTRAGON:
Then let him get up.

VLADIMIR:
He can't.

ESTRAGON:
Why not?

VLADIMIR:
I don't know.
Pozzo writhes, groans, beats the ground with his fists.

ESTRAGON:
We should ask him for the bone first. Then if he refuses we'll leave him there.

VLADIMIR:
You mean we have him at our mercy?

ESTRAGON:
Yes.

VLADIMIR:
And that we should subordinate our good offices to certain conditions?

ESTRAGON:
What?

VLADIMIR:
That seems intelligent all right. But there's one thing I'm afraid of.

POZZO:
Help!

ESTRAGON:
What?

VLADIMIR:
That Lucky might get going all of a sudden. Then we'd be ballocksed.

ESTRAGON:
Lucky?

VLADIMIR:
The one that went for you yesterday.

ESTRAGON:
I tell you there was ten of them.

VLADIMIR:
No, before that, the one that kicked you.

ESTRAGON:
Is he there?

VLADIMIR:
As large as life. (Gesture towards Lucky.) For the moment he is inert. But he
might run amuck any minute.

POZZO:
Help!

ESTRAGON:
And suppose we gave him a good beating the two of us?

VLADIMIR:
You mean if we fell on him in his sleep?

ESTRAGON:
Yes.

VLADIMIR:
That seems a good idea all right. But could we do it? Is he really asleep?
(Pause.) No, the best would be to take advantage of Pozzo's calling for help�

POZZO:
Help!

VLADIMIR:
To help him�

ESTRAGON:
We help him?

VLADIMIR:
In anticipation of some tangible return.

ESTRAGON:
And suppose he�

VLADIMIR:
Let us not waste our time in idle discourse! (Pause. Vehemently.) Let us do
something, while we have the chance! It is not every day that we are needed.
Not indeed that we personally are needed. Others would meet the case
equally well, if not better. To all mankind they were addressed, those cries for
help still ringing in our ears! But at this place, at this moment of time, all
mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it, before it
is too late! Let us represent worthily for once the foul brood to which a cruel
fate consigned us! What do you say? (Estragon says nothing.) It is true that
when with folded arms we weigh the pros and cons we are no less a credit to
our species. The tiger bounds to the help of his congeners without the least
reflection, or else he slinks away into the depths of the thickets. But that is
not the question. What are we doing here, that is the question. And we are
blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in this immense
confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come�

ESTRAGON:
Ah!

POZZO:
Help!

VLADIMIR:
Or for night to fall. (Pause.) We have kept our appointment and that's an end
to that. We are not saints, but we have kept our appointment. How many
people can boast as much?

ESTRAGON:
Billions.

VLADIMIR:
You think so?

ESTRAGON:
I don't know.

VLADIMIR:
You may be right.

POZZO:
Help!

VLADIMIR:
All I know is that the hours are long, under these conditions, and constrain us
to beguile them with proceedings which �how shall I say� which may at first
sight seem reasonable, until they become a habit. You may say it is to
prevent our reason from foundering. No doubt. But has it not long been
straying in the night without end of the abysmal depths? That's what I
sometimes wonder. You follow my reasoning?

ESTRAGON:
(aphoristic for once). We are all born mad. Some remain so.

POZZO:
Help! I'll pay you!

ESTRAGON:
How much?

POZZO:
One hundred francs!

ESTRAGON:
It's not enough.

VLADIMIR:
I wouldn't go so far as that.

ESTRAGON:
You think it's enough?

VLADIMIR:
No, I mean so far as to assert that I was weak in the head when I came into
the world. But that is not the question.

POZZO:
Two hundred!

VLADIMIR:
We wait. We are bored. (He throws up his hand.) No, don't protest, we are
bored to death, there's no denying it. Good. A diversion comes along and
what do we do? We let it go to waste. Come, let's get to work! (He advances
towards the heap, stops in his stride.) In an instant all will vanish and we'll be
alone once more, in the midst of nothingness!
He broods.

POZZO:
Two hundred!

VLADIMIR:
We're coming!
He tries to pull Pozzo to his feet, fails, tries again, stumbles, falls, tries to get
up, fails.

ESTRAGON:
What's the matter with you all?

VLADIMIR:
Help!

ESTRAGON:
I'm going.

VLADIMIR:
Don't leave me! They'll kill me!

POZZO:
Where am I?

VLADIMIR:
Gogo!

POZZO:
Help!

VLADIMIR:
Help!

ESTRAGON:
I'm going.

VLADIMIR:
Help me up first, then we'll go together.

ESTRAGON:
You promise?

VLADIMIR:
I swear it!

ESTRAGON:
And we'll never come back?

VLADIMIR:
Never!

ESTRAGON:
We'll go to the Pyrenees.

VLADIMIR:
Wherever you like.

ESTRAGON:
I've always wanted to wander in the Pyrenees.

VLADIMIR:
You'll wander in them.

ESTRAGON:
(recoiling). Who farted?

VLADIMIR:
Pozzo.

POZZO:
Here! Here! Pity!

ESTRAGON:
It's revolting!

VLADIMIR:
Quick! Give me your hand!

ESTRAGON:
I'm going. (Pause. Louder.) I'm going.

VLADIMIR:
Well I suppose in the end I'll get up by myself. (He tries, fails.) In the fullness
of time.

ESTRAGON:
What's the matter with you?

VLADIMIR:
Go to hell.

ESTRAGON:
Are you staying there?

VLADIMIR:
For the time being.

ESTRAGON:
Come on, get up, you'll catch a chill.

VLADIMIR:
Don't worry about me.

ESTRAGON:
Come on, Didi, don't be pig-headed!
He stretches out his hand which Vladimir makes haste to seize.

VLADIMIR:
Pull!
Estragon pulls, stumbles, falls. Long silence.

POZZO:
Help!

VLADIMIR:
We've arrived.

POZZO:
Who are you?

VLADIMIR:
We are men.
Silence.

ESTRAGON:
Sweet mother earth!

VLADIMIR:
Can you get up?

ESTRAGON:
I don't know.

VLADIMIR:
Try.

ESTRAGON:
Not now, not now.
Silence.

POZZO:
What happened?

VLADIMIR:
(violently). Will you stop it, you! Pest! He can think of nothing but himself!

ESTRAGON:
What about a little snooze?

VLADIMIR:
Did you hear him? He wants to know what happened!

ESTRAGON:
Don't mind him. Sleep.
Silence.

POZZO:
Pity! Pity!

ESTRAGON:
(with a start). What is it?

VLADIMIR:
Were you asleep?

ESTRAGON:
I must have been.

VLADIMIR:
It's this bastard Pozzo at it again.

ESTRAGON:
Make him stop it. Kick him in the crotch.

VLADIMIR:
(striking Pozzo). Will you stop it! Crablouse! (Pozzo extricates himself with
cries of pain and crawls away. He stops, saws the air blindly, calling for help.
Vladimir, propped on his elbow, observes his retreat.) He's off! (Pozzo
collapses.) He's down!

ESTRAGON:
What do we do now?

VLADIMIR:
Perhaps I could crawl to him.

ESTRAGON:
Don't leave me!

VLADIMIR:
Or I could call to him.

ESTRAGON:
Yes, call to him.

VLADIMIR:
Pozzo! (Silence.) Pozzo! (Silence.) No reply.

ESTRAGON:
Together.
VLADIMIR and ESTRAGON:
Pozzo! Pozzo!

VLADIMIR:
He moved.

ESTRAGON:
Are you sure his name is Pozzo?

VLADIMIR:
(alarmed). Mr. Pozzo! Come back! We won't hurt you!
Silence.

ESTRAGON:
We might try him with other names.

VLADIMIR:
I'm afraid he's dying.

ESTRAGON:
It'd be amusing.

VLADIMIR:
What'd be amusing?

ESTRAGON:
To try him with other names, one after the other. It'd pass the time. And we'd
be bound to hit on the right one sooner or later.

VLADIMIR:
I tell you his name is Pozzo.

ESTRAGON:
We'll soon see. (He reflects.) Abel! Abel!

POZZO:
Help!

ESTRAGON:
Got it in one!

VLADIMIR:
I begin to weary of this motif.

ESTRAGON:
Perhaps the other is called Cain. Cain! Cain!