Eleuthéria Read online

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  SAMUEL BECKETT

  otherwise we might as well ring

  down the curtain .

  DR. PIOUK

  So what? I have no objection to

  the curtain 's being rung down on

  something senseless, besides,

  that's what most often happens. In

  any case, I see that for you that's

  not the point. I will therefore not

  insist. I want quite simply to reply.

  You want to impose on this how shall I put it - this semblance of a life a manner of justification , so that both the one leading it and those it grieves may,

  in your oh so pretty phrase, be put

  up with. That's more or less it?

  Good. That's what I do when I ' m

  presenting the interested party

  with the possibility of taking his

  refusal as far as it will go in the

  neatest and nicest way imaginable .

  For it is very much a question of a

  refusal, if I understood it correctly.

  GLAZIER

  Yes. But you reason like a swine .

  DR. PIOUK

  It is so you may follow me better.

  Let's see . I offer him (He pats his

  vest) my little candy bar. He

  refuses. All right. Why? No matter.

  He wants to live. That's enough . It

  is a meaning. A little vague, if you

  like, but sufficient. People tell

  each other - I am poaching on

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  your preserves - The poor young

  man ! So near giving away! Saw the

  light at the last minute ! At the

  very edge of the abyss! One of

  ours once more ! They won 't ask

  for anything more, believe me. Or

  then again, he accepts. Meaning?

  He has had enough. Why? Of no

  importance whatsoever. He wants

  to die. That's enough. It's clear.

  It's luminous. Existence so weighs

  him down that he prefers to

  cancel himself out of it. Everybody

  understands that. It's no longer

  the Third Republic. No need to

  come up with chancres. And there

  you have it. It's as uncomplicated

  as that. (To Olga) Coming?

  GLAZIER

  You do have a way of simplifying

  things !

  DR. PIOUK

  Everything aspires to be either

  black or white . Color is the missing of a beat. (Prestidigitator's

  gesture, after the bringing off of a

  sleight of hand)

  MllE. SKUNK

  But is he going to come back

  here?

  DR. PIOUK

  Here or elsewhere , little does it

  matter.

  Mu.E. SKUNK

  But he won 't let you in ! He won 't

  listen to you! He won 't answer

  you!

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  SAMUEL BECKEIT

  DR. PIOUK

  (Laughing) You don 't know me.

  (Pause ) Not yet. (To the Glazier)

  Good night. (He leads Mlle .

  Skunk away)

  GlAZIER

  You will come tomorrow?

  DR. PIOUK

  (Halting) The earlier the better.

  (He takes out his memorandumbook and flips through it) Let's

  see - tonight - tonight I have

  an engagement - tomorrow tomorrow - we have the funeral -

  funeral - lunch at the widow's reading of the will - let's see tomorrow afternoon, around three o' clock, three-thirty. (Makes

  a note) All right with you?

  MILE. SKUNK

  And if he isn 't here.

  DR. PIOUK

  Well then - well - then we shall

  see . And on that note. (To the

  Glazier) Goodnight.

  MLLE. SKUNK

  Goodnight.

  (Exit Mlle . Skunk and Dr. Piouk.

  A silence . The Glazier sits down

  on the bed, takes his head in his

  hands. Michel emerges from the

  shadows and goes and stands in

  front of him)

  MICHEL

  ( Holding the sandwich ) Eat your

  tartine, papa.

  GlAZIER

  ( Lifting his head) Ah yes. (He

  takes the sandwich) You call that a

  tartine? (He separates the two

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  slices) Here we have a tartine,

  Michel. And here is another. (He

  puts them back together) And

  here we have a sandwich. You

  understand?

  MICHEL

  Yes, papa.

  GlAZIER

  (His mouth full) A sandwich, it's

  two tartines stuck together. (A

  silence) Repeat.

  MICHEL

  A sandwich is two tartines stuck

  together.

  GlAZIER

  Good. (A silence. The Glazier

  reflects) By the way, Michel.

  MICHEL

  Yes, papa.

  GlAZIER

  Are you happy with me?

  MICHEL

  What is it, happy, papa?

  GlAZIER

  How old are you?

  MICHEL

  Ten years old, papa.

  GlAZIER

  Ten years old. (A silence) And you

  don 't know what that means,

  happy?

  MICHEL

  No, papa.

  GlAZIER

  You know when there is something that pleases you. It's a good

  feeling, isn 't it?

  MICHEL

  Yes, papa.

  GlAZIER

  Well then , happy is pretty much

  that. (A silence) So, are you

  happy?

  MICHEL

  No, papa.

  GlAZIER

  And why is that?

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  SAMUEL BECKETI

  MICHEL

  I don ' t know, papa.

  GLAZIER

  It's because you don 't go to school

  enough?

  MICHEL

  No, papa, I don 't like school.

  GLAZIER

  You would like to play with your

  little buddies.

  MICHEL

  No, papa, I don 't like to play.

  GLAZIER

  I ' m not mean to you?

  MICHEL

  Oh no, papa.

  GLAZIER

  What do you like to do?

  MICHEL

  I don 't know.

  GLAZIER

  What do you mean, you don 't

  know? Something has to be the

  matter.

  MICHEL

  (Upon reflection ) I like when I

  am in bed, before I go to sleep.

  GLAZIER

  And why is that?

  MICHEL

  I don ' t know, papa.

  (A silence)

  GLAZIER

  Make the most of it.

  MICHEL

  Yes, papa.

  (A silence)

  GLAZIER

  Come , let me give you a kiss.

  (Michel moves forward. The

  Glazier kisses him) You like when

  I kiss you?

  MICHEL

  Not very much, papa.

  GLAZIER

  And why is that?

  MICHEL

  It prickles, papa?

  GLAZIER

  You see, you do know why you

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  don ' t like when I kiss you.

  MICHEL

  Yes, papa.

  GLAZIER

  Then say why you
like when you

  are in bed.

  MICHEL

  (Upon reflection ) I don 't know,

  papa.

  (A silence)

  GLAZIER

  You are still hungry.

  MICHEL

  Yes, papa.

  GLAZIER

  ( Giving him the sandwich) Here,

  eat that.

  MICHEL

  (Hesitating) But it's yours, papa.

  GLAZIER

  (Forcefully) Eat!

  (A silence)

  MICHEL

  You aren ' t hungry any more,

  papa?

  GLAZIER

  No.

  MICHEL

  And why is that?

  (A silence)

  GLAZIER

  I don ' t know, Michel.

  (A silence)

  CURTAIN

  ACT III

  The next day. Late afternoon.

  Victor's room seen from another angle. Krap family

  side swallowed up l7y the pit.

  Door ajar, windowpane broken, Glazier's tools in

  disorder on the floor.

  Victor alone, in bed. He is sleeping. The Glazier in the

  doorway.

  VICTOR

  (In his sleep) No - no - too

  high - rocks - my body - papa

  - be brave - good little boy - I

  am brave - a good little boy good little boy. (A silence. He

  tosses and turns. Louder) Fathom

  - full fathom five - at low tide

  - low water - deep - deep -

  deep surge. (A silence. Enter the

  Glazier. He goes toward the bed)

  There the eyes - a thousand

  ships - the towers - circumcised

  - fire - fire.

  (A silence)

  GI.AZIER

  The towers circumcised fire fire !

  Boy! Nice touch ! (He shakes

  Victor) Up, sump ! (Victor awakens with a start, sits up, haggard)

  VICTOR

  (Half-awake ) No - no - tomorrow I - (He sees the Glazier)

  What?

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  SA.IUEL BECKETI

  GLAZIER

  A little past four! Four o ' clock!

  Day is done. The sun is setting.

  Your father is in his grave . And

  here you are wallowing in your

  lustful dreams! Swine !

  VICTOR

  I am thirsty.

  GLAZIER

  (Pulling back the covers) Get up,

  God damn it! You are having

  callers.

  VICTOR

  (He sits at the edge of the bed.

  Dressed like the night before, but

  without his suit jacket) I ' m incred-

  ibly thirsty. (He wipes his mouth)

  Callers?

  GLAZIER

  A good thing I stopped by. They

  would have found you snoring

  away.

  VICTOR

  Who? Who would have found me?

  GLAZIER

  Ah, here we go !

  VICTOR

  I am leaving. (He gets up, starts

  searching)

  GLAZIER

  Let us say it's an arraignment by

  proxy. Today is the third day, the

  great day, when everything is to be

  cleared up. In an hour we will

  know where we stand. What are

  you looking for?

  VICTOR

  The glass.

  GLAZIER

  The glass? Here. That's a good

  one.

  VICTOR

  (Searching) I saw it the other day.

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  1 27

  (He looks under the bed, sees the

  glass, picks it up, goes out on the

  landing, comes back with the glass

  full of water, sits down on the bed,

  empties the glass in one gulp,

  waits, goes back out on the landing, comes back with the glass full

  again, empties it again, in two gos,

  places it on the bed, gets up,

  searches)

  GLAZIER

  It's a family vault you have?

  VICTOR

  (Searching) What?

  GLAZIER

  Fashionable folks like you, there

  has got to be a family vault.

  VICTOR

  The grain of wheat discovered in

  a hypogeum is sprouting after

  three thousand years of dry sleep.

  (Pause) So they say. ( He searches)

  (A silence)

  GLAZIER

  What's the matter that you 're

  floundering around like - like a

  lost soul?

  VICTOR

  I am looking for my shoes.

  GLAZIER

  (Also searching, after a while)

  Here is one. (He kicks it toward

  Victor who sticks his foot into it)

  You ' re thinking of going out?

  VICTOR

  (Searching) And the other one?

  GLAZIER

  (He goes to shut the door and

  leans back against it) You will not

  be going out.

  VICTOR

  I had it last night.

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  SA.tUEL BECKEIT

  (A knock)

  GLAZIER

  There they are. (He opens the

  door. Enter Jacques, a shoe in his

  hand. He looks at the Glazier with

  astonishment, wants to speak to

  him, changes his mind, moves

  forward in the room)

  jACQUES

  I hope I am not disturbing Monsieur.

  VICIOR

  (Looking at the shoe) Where did

  you find that?

  jACQUES

  On the staircase, Monsieur. I

  thought I recognized Monsieur's

  shoe . (He proffers the shoe to

  Victor who takes it, examines it,

  drops it and sticks his foot in it)

  GLAZIER

  A flunkey!

  VICIOR

  It's you who's the caller?

  Qacques uncomprehending)

  GLAZIER

  With all due respect to Monsieur,

  no, it is not he who is Monsieur's

  caller.

  jACQUES

  Monsieur is expecting a caller?

  VICIOR

  No, I am going out.

  jACQUES

  Monsieur got back all right?

  VICIOR

  I don 't know. (He starts searching

  again)

  jACQUES

  Monsieur is looking for something?

  VICIOR

  My jacket. Qacques helps him

  look for the jacket) I lost it. (He

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  goes toward the door)

  jACQUES

  Monsieur is not going to go out

  with no jacket!

  VICTOR

  (To the Glazier) Let me through .

  GLAZIER

  No.

  VICTOR

  (To Jacques) Help me get out.

  jACQUES

  Monsieur cannot get out?

  VICTOR

  He is not letting me through .

  jACQUES

  ( Getting closer to the door) What

  am I to do, Monsieur?

  VICTOR

  Force him to let me through .

  jACQUES

  (Stepping forward, to the Glazier)

  Get yourself away from there .

  (The Glazier pushes him away

  violently. Jacques staggers back a

  few steps, stops)

  VICTOR

  (To Jacques) Both of us together.

  jACQUES

  (Unenthusiastically) Just as Monsieur wishes. (He moves forw
ard)

  GLAZIER

  Stop! Uacques stops) You loved

  your master?

  VICTOR

  Don ' t listen to him. Come on,

  together now.

  GLAZIER

  He loved his son?

  jACQUES

  (Wanting to satisfY everybody) Is

  that any of your concern?

  VICTOR

  (Slackly) So . One, two -

  GLAZIER

  (To Jacques, forcefully) He has to

  stay here . For his own good.

  (Pause) Furthermore I won 't

  hesitate to knock both of you out

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  SAMUEL BECKETI

  cold. (A silence. Victor goes and

  sits down on the bed. jacques ill at

  ease)

  jACQUES

  Monsieur is angry? (A silence) I

  am embarrassed, Monsieur. Violence, it's not my cup of tea,

  Monsieur. I beg Monsieur's pardon.

  VICTOR

  Of course , of course . (Pause)

  What do you want?

  jACQUES

  I had something to tell Monsieur.

  ( Pause) I haven't been sent. I

  thought -

  VICTOR

  Say it.

  jACQUES

  Madame, Monsieur's mother ­

  GlAZIER

  Is this formality absolutely necessary?

  VICTOR

  He is right. Try to speak as if you

  were one human being and as if I

  myself were another. If you don' t

  mind.

  jACQUES

  Monsieur, your mother is ill. The

  funeral is being postponed.

  VICTOR

  Two birds with one stone .

  jACQUES

  (Faintly scandalized) The funeral

  is set for tomorrow, Monsieur, the

  very last put-off date.

  VICTOR

  Then it's not that.

  jACQUES

  I thought it was necessary that you

  be forewarned, Monsieur. Madame is very low.

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  1 3 1

  VICfOR

  That i s all?

  jACQUES

  No, Monsieur. Dr. Piouk had an

  attack during the night. He is

  confined to his bed.

  GlAZIER

  Shit!

  VICfOR

  Dr. who?

  jACQUES

  Dr. Piouk, Monsieur, the husband

  of Madame your aunt, Monsieur.

  VICfOR

  The husband of my aunt?

  GlAZIER

  But of course, the husband of

  your aunt. (To Jacques) What's

  the matter with him?

  jACQUES

  I do not know exactly.

  GlAZIER

  Is it very serious?

  jACQUES

  I believe that it is quite serious.

  VIcroR

  And it's for that you have come?

  To tell me that my mother is very

  low and that the husband of my

  aunt, whom I believed was a

  virgin , has had an attack during

  the night?

  GlAZIER

  Why, isn 't he chatty today!

  jACQUES

  I thought Monsieur should know ­

  GlAZIER

  Whoa!

  jACQUES

  That you should know how things

  stand with your family, on this the

  eve of the funeral.

  GlAZIER