MS-HRC-SB-3-5

[1862] It's not a ray of sunshine I feel on my face?

[1863] No.

[1865] Am I very white. [1866] (Pause. [1867] Violently.) [1868] I'm asking you am I very white?

[1869] No more so than usual.

[1871] Open the window.

[1872] What for?

[1873] I want to hear the sea.

[1874] You wouldn't hear it.

[1875] Even if you opened the window.

[1876] No.

[1877] Then it's not worth while opening it?

[1878] No.

[1879] (violently) [1880] Then open it! [1881] (Clov gets up on the ladder, opens the window. [1882] Pause.) [1883] Have you opened it?

[1884] Yes.

[1886] You swear you've opened it?

[1887] Yes.

[1889] Well...! [1890] (Pause.) [1891] It must be very calm. [1892] (Pause. [1893] Violently.) [1894] I'm asking you is it very calm.

[1895] Yes.

[1896] It's because there are no more navigators. [1897] (Pause.) [1898] You haven't much conversation all of a sudden. [1899] (Pause.) [1900] Anything wrong?

[1901] I'm cold.

[1902] What month is it? [1903] (Pause.) [1904] Close the window, we're going back. [1905] (Clov closes the window, gets down, pushes the chair back to its place, remains standing behind it, head bowed. [1906] Don't stay there, you frighten me. [1907] (Clov returns to his place beside the chair.) [1908] Father! [1909] (Pause. [1910] Louder.) [1911] Father! [1912] (Pause.) [1913] Go and see did he hear me.

[1917] Yes.

[1918] Both times? ^calls.

[1922] One only.

[1923] The first or the second?

[1927] He doesn't know.

[1928] It must have been the second.

[1929] We'll never know.

[1931] Is he still crying?

[1932] No.

[1933] The dead go fast. [1934] (Pause.) [1935] What's he doing?

[1936] Sucking his biscuit.

[1937] Life goes on. [1938] (Clov returns to his place beside the chair.) [1939] Give me a rug, I'm freezing.

[1940] There are no more rugs.

[1942] Kiss me. [1943] (Pause.) [1944] Will you not ^{Do you not want to} kiss me?

[1945] No.

[1946] On the forehead.

[1947] I don't want to kiss you anywhere.

[1949] (holding out his hand). [1950] Give me your hand at least. [1951] (Pause.) [1952] Do you not want to give me your hand.

[1953] I don't want to touch you.

[1955] Give me the dog. [1956] (Clov looks round for the dog.) [1957] No, it's not ^{don't bother}.

[1958] Do you not want your dog?

[1959] No.

[1960] Then I'll leave you.

[1961] (head bowed, absently) [1962] That's right.

[1964] If I don't kill that rat he'll die.

[1965] (as before) [1966] That's right. [1967] (Exit Clov. [1968] Pause.) [1969] Me to play. [1970] (He takes out his handkerchief, holds it spread out before him.) [1971] We're getting on. [1972] (Pause.) [1973] One weeps, and weeps, for nothing ^{for nothing} or in screams, in order not to laugh, and little by little... one falls a prey to sorrow. [1974] (He folds his handkerchief, puts it back in his pocket, raises his head a little.) [1975] All those I might have saved. ^helped. [1976] (Pause.) [1977] Helped! [1978] (Pause.) [1979] Saved. [1980] (Pause.) [1981] Saved! [1982] (Pause.) [1983] The place was flush ^crawling with them! [1984] (Pause. [1985] Violently.) [1986] Use your head, can't you, use your head, you're on earth, there's no cure for that! [1987] (Pause.) [1988] Get out of here and love one another! [1989] Lick one another. [1990] (Pause. [1991] Calmer.) [1992] When it wasn't bread they wanted it was cake. [1993] (Pause. [1994] Violently.) [1995] Get o ^Out of my sight and get back to your orgies! [1996] (Pause.) ^{[1998] All nothing, all Nothing else?}

[1998] nothing! [1999] (Pause.) [2000] Not even a real dog! [2001] (Calmer.) [2002] The end is the beginning and yet one goes on. [2003] (Pause.) [2004] Perhaps I could go on with my story, end it and begin another. [2005] (Pause.) [2006] Perhaps I could throw myself down ^out on the floor. [2007] (He lifts himself painfully a little, falls back in his seat.) [2008] Dig my nails into the cracks and drag myself forward with my fingers. [2009] (Pause.) [2010] It will ^'ll be the end I'll there I'll be, wondering what can have brought it about, and wondering what can have... (he hesitates)... why it was so long coming. [2011] (Pause.) [2012] There I'll be, in the old refuge, alone against the silence and... (he hesitates)... inertia. [2013] If I can hold my peace, and sit still, it will be the end of sound, and of motion, finished and done with. [2014] (Pause) [2015] I shall have called my father and I shall have called my... (he hesitates)... my son. [2016] And even twice, or three times, in case they should not have heard me, the first time, or the second. [2017] (Pause.) [2018] I'll say, He'll come back. [2019] (Pause) [2020] And then? [2021] (Pause.) [2022] And then? [2023] (Pause) [2024] He couldn't, he has gone too far. [2025] (Pause) [2026] And then? [2027] (Pause. [2028] Very agitated.) [2029] All kinds of fantasies! [2030] That I'm being watched! [2031] A rat! [2032] Steps! [2033] Eyes! [2034] Breath held and then... (he exhales). [2035] Then babble, babble, words, like the lonely child who turns himself into children, two, three, so as to be together, and talk together, in the night. [2036] (Pause.) [2037] Moment upon moment, pattering down, like the millet grains of... (he hesitates)...