MS-HRC-SB-3-5

[1331] You whistle me. [1332] I don't come. [1333] The alarm goes off. [1334] I'm gone. [1335] It doesn't go off. [1336] I'm dead.

[1338] Is it working ^{going working}? [1339] (Pause. [1340] Impatient.) [1341] The alarm-clock, is it working ^{going working} ?

[1342] Why wouldn't it be going ^working.

[1343] Because it's been going ^working too long ^much.

[1344] But it's hardly been working at all.

[1345] (angrily) [1346] Then because it hasn't been working enough! ^{it's been working too little!}

[1347] I'll go and see. [1348] (Exit Clov. [1350] Brief x ring of alarm off. [1351] Enter Clov with the alarm-clock. [1352] He holds it against Hamm's ear and releases the alarm. [1353] They listen to it ringing to the end. [1354] Pause.) [1355] Worthy of the last judgement! [1356] Did you hear?

[1357] Vaguely.

[1358] The end is extraordinary.

[1359] I prefer the middle. [1360] (Pause) [1361] Is it not time for my sedative.

[1362] No. [1363] (He goes to the door, turns.) [1364] I'm going.

[1365] It's time for my story. [1366] Do you want to listen to my story?

[1367] No.

[1368] Ask my father if he wants to listen to my story.

[1372] He's asleep.

[1373] Wake him.

[1377] He doesn't want to listen to your story.

[1378] I'll give him a bon-bon.

[1382] He wants a sugar-plum ^lollipop.

[1383] He'll have ^get a sugar-plum ^lollipop.

[1387] It's a deal. [1388] (He goes towards the door. [1389] Nagg's hands appear, gripping the rim. [1390] Then the head emerges. [1391] Clov reaches the door, turns. [1392] Do you believe in the life to come?

[1393] Mine was always so. [1394] (Exit Clov.) [1395] Got him that time!

[1397] I'm listening.

[1398] Scoundrel! [1399] What made you beget me?

[1400] I didn't know.

[1401] What? [1402] What didn't you know?

[1403] That it'd be you. [1404] (Pause) [1405] You'll give me a sugar-plum? ^lollipop.

[1406] After the audition.

[1407] You swear?

[1408] Yes.

[1409] On what?

[1410] My honour.

[1413] x Two.

[1414] One

[1415] One for me and one for -

[1416] One! [1417] Silence! [1418] (Pause) [1419] Where was I? [1420] (Pause. [1421] Gloomy.) [1422] It's finished, we're finished. [1423] (Pause.) [1424] It's nearly finished. [1425] (Pause) [1426] There'll be no more speech. [1427] (Pause.) [1428] A drop of water in my head, ever since the fontanelles. [1429] (Stifled hilarity of Nagg.) [1430] It always crashes on the same spot. [1431] (Pause.) [1432] Perhaps it's a little vein. [1432|001] (Animated.) [1433] (Pause.) [1434] xxx A little artery. [1435] (Pause. [1436] More animated.) [1437] Come on, it's story time, where was I? [1438] (Pause. [1439] Narrative tone.) [1440] The man came crawling towards me, on his belly. [1441] Marvellous Pale,

[1441] marvellously pale and thin, he seemed on the point of - [1442] (Pause. [1443] Normal tone.) [1444] No, I've done that bit. [1445] (Pause. [1446] Narrative tone.) [1447] A long silence was heard. [1448] (Normal tone.) [1449] Nicely put. [1450] (Narrative tone.) [1451] I tranquillly filled my pipe - the meerschaum, lit it with a... let us say a wax vesta, drew a few puffs. [1452] Aah! [1453] (Pause.) [1454] Well, what is it? [1455] (Pause.) [1456] It was an extraordinarily cold day, I remember, zero by the thermomet ^{thermometer the thermometer down to zero}. [1457] But since ^considering it was Xmas Eve there was nothing... extraordinary about that. [1458] Seasonable weather, for once in a way. [1459] (Pause.) [1460] Well, what ill wind blows me you? [1461] He raised his face towards me, black with mingled dirt and tears. [1462] (Pause. [1463] Normal tone.) [1464] That should do it. [1465] (Narrative tone.) [1466] No, no, don't look at me, don't look at me! [1467] He dropped his eyes and mumbled ^muttered something, apologies I presume. [1468] (Pause.) [1469] I'm a busy man, you know, the final touches, before the festivities, you know what it is. [1470] (Pause. [1471] Forcibly.) [1472] xxx ^{You're intruding.} Tell me what you want and take yourself off. ^{[1472] What is the object of this intrusion.} [1473] (Pause) [1474] It was a brilliant bright day, I remember, fifty by the heliometer, but already the sun was sinking, into the... ^down among the dead. [1474|001] (Pause) Nicely put. [1475] (Normal tone.) [1476] Nicely put. [1477] (Narrative tone.) [1478] Come on, come on, and present you supplication, and let me return to my labours ^{resume my avocation}. [1478|001] (Pause. [1479] Normal tone) [1480] There's English for you! [1481] Ah well. [1482] (Narrative tone.) [1483] It was then he took the plunge. [1484] It's my child, he said. [1484|001] Too old now, a child. [1485] That's a nice beginning! [1486] My little boy, he said, as if the

[1486] sex mattered. [1487] Where did he come from? [1488] He named the hole. [1489] A good half-day, on horse. [1490] You are ^{What are you} insinuating? That the place is still inhabited? [1492] No no, not a soul, except himself, and the x child - assuming it existed. [1493] Good.[1494] I enquired about the situation at Kov, beyond the ^along the bay. [1495] Not a sinner. [1496] Good. [1497] And you want me to believe you have left your child back there, all alone, and alive into the bargain? [1498] Come now! [1499] (Pause.) [1500] It was a wild day, I remember, with a howling gale.^{, [⁁]a hundred by the anemometer.} [1501] It tore up the dead pines and swept them... away. [1502] (Normal tone.) [1503] Rather feeble, that. [1504] (Narrative tone.) [1505] Come on, come on, what is it you want from me, I have to dress my Xmas tree. [1506] (Pause.) [1507] To make a long story short it finally xxx transpired that he wanted bread ^{that what he wanted} from me was... bread for his child. [1510] Bread? [1511] But I have no bread, I can't digest it. [1512] Good. [1513] Then a little corn. [1514] (Pause. [1515] Normal tone.) [1516] That should do it. [1517] (Narrative tone.) [1518] Corn, yes, I have corn, in my granaries. [1519] But use your head, can't you ^{Have some sense}. [1520] I give you some corn, a pound, a pound and a half, you bring it back to your child and you give him - if he's still alive - a good pot of porridge, a good pot and a half of porridge. [1521] Good. [1522] The colours come back into his cheeks - perhaps. [1523] And then? [1524] (Pause.) [1525] I lost my temper. [1526] Use your head, can't you, use your head, ^{Have some sense, have some sense} you're on earth, there's no cure for that! [1527] (Pause.) [1528] It was an excessively dry day, I remember, zero by the hygrometer. [1529] Ideal weather, for my rheumatism. [1530] (Pause. [1531] Violently.) [1532] What do you