MS-OSU-RARE-29-6

[1138] Can he stand?

[1139] I don't know.

[1140] Try. [1141] (He hands the dog to Clov who places it on the ground.) [1142] Well?

[1143] Wait!

[1145|001] (impatiently). [1146] Well?

[1147] He's stadⁿding.

[1148] (groping for the dog). [1149] Where? [1150] Where is he?

[1152] There.

[1154] (his hand on the dog's head). [1155] Is he looking ^gazing at me?

[1156] Yes.

[1157] (proudly). [1158] As if he were asking me to take him for a walk?

[1159] If you like.

[1160] (as before). [1161] Or as if he were asking ^{asking begging} me for a bone. [1162] (He withdraws his hand.) [1163] Leave him like that, standing there imploring me.

[1166] I'll leave you.

[1167] Have you had your visions?

[1168] Less.

[1169] Is Mother Pegg's light on?

[1170] Light! [1171] How could anyone's light be on?

[1172] Quenched!

[1173] Naturally it's quenched. [1174] If it's not on it's quenched.

[1175] No, I mean Mother Pegg.

[1176] But naturally she's quenched! [1176|001] (Pause.) [1177] What's the matter with you to-day?

[1178] I'm taking my course. [1179] (Pause.) [1180] Is she buried?

[1181] Buried! [1182] Who would have buried her?

[1183] You.

[1184] Me! [1185] Haven't I enough to do without burying people?

[1186] But you'll bury me.

[1187] No, I won't bury you.

[1189] She was bonny once, like a flower of the field. [1189|001] (With reminiscent leer.) [1190] And a great one for the men!

[1191] We too wre^ere bonny - once. [1192] It's a rare thing not to have been bonny - once.

[1194] Go and get the gaff.

[1196] Do this, do that, and I do it. [1197] I never refuse? [1198] WhyN^?

[1199] You're not able to.

[1200] Soon I won't do it any more.

[1201] You won't be able to any more. [1202] (Exit Clov.) [1203] Ah the ^the creatures, the ^the creatures, everything has to be explained to them.

[1205] Here's your gaff. [1206] Stick it up.

[1208] Did I move?

[1209] H^No

[1211] Go and get the oilcan.

[1212] What for?

[1213] To oil the castors.

[1214] I oiled thel^m yesterday.

[1215] Yesterday! [1216] What does that mean? [1217] Yesterday!

[1218] (violently). [1219] That means that bloody awful day, long ago, before this bloody awful day. [1220] I use the words you taught me. [1221] If they don't mean anything any more, teach me others. [1222] Or let me be silent.

[1224] I once knew a lunatic ^madman who thought the end of the world had come. [1225] He was a painter ^{watercolourist painter watercolourist}. ^{He was a painter- and engraver.[⁁]} [1226] I liked him wellu ^{had a fondness for him}. [1227] I used to go and see him, in the asylum. [1228] I'd take him by the hand and drag him to the window. [1229] Look! [1230] There! [1231] All that rising corn.^! [1232] And there! [1233] Look. [1234] The sails of the mackerel fishers ^{herring fleet. trawlers}! [1235] All that beauty ^loveliness! [1236] (Pause.) [1237] He'd snatch away his hand and go back into his corner. [1238] Appalled. [1239] All he had seen was ashes. [1240] (Pause.) [1241] He alone had been spared. [1242] (Pause.) [1243] Forgotten. [1244] (Pause.) [1245] It appears the case is...was not so...so unusual.

[1246] A madman? [1247] When was that?

[1248] Oh way back, way back, [1249] you wr^eren't in the land of the living.

[1250] ^{God be with} Those were the days!

[1253] I liked him ^{had a fondness for him.} well, well. [1253|001](Pause.) [1253|002]He was a watercolourist. well [1254] (P^Pause. [1255] He puts on his toque again.) [1257] He was a watercolourist. ^{painter - and engraver.}

[1258] Th^here are so many terrible things.

[1259] No, no, there are not so many now. [1260] (Pause.) [1261] Clov.

[1262] Yes.

[1263] Do you not think this has gone on long enough?

[1264] Yes! [1265] (Pause.) [1266] What?

[1267] This...this...thing.

[1268] I've always thought so. [1269] (Pause.) [1270] You not?

[1271] (glumly). [1272] Then it's a day like any other day.

[1273] As long as it lasts. [1274] (Pause.) [1275] All life long the same ineptitudes ^inanities.

[1277] I can't leave you.

[1278] I know. [1279] And you can't follow me.

[1281] If you leave me how will I know?

[1282] (briskly). [1283] Well you simply whistle me and if I don't come running it means I've left you.

[1285] You won't come and kiss me goodbye.

[1286] Oh I shoudn't think so.

[1288] But you might be merely dead in your kitchen.

[1289] The result would be the same.

[1290] Yes, but how would I know, if you were merely dead in your kitchen?

[1291] Well...sooner or later I'd start to stink.

[1292] You stink already. [1293] The whole house stinks of corpses.

[1294] The whole universe.

[1295] (angrily). [1296] To hell with the universe! [1297] (Pause.) [1298] Think of something.

[1299] What?

[1300] An idea, have an idea. [1301] (Pause. [1302] Angrily.) [1303] A bright idea!

[1304] Ah, good. [1305] (He starts o^pacing to and fro, his eyes fixed on the ground, his hands behind his back. [1306] He halts.) [1307] The pain^s in my legs! It's unbelievable.^! [1308] Soon I won't be able to think any more.

[1309] You won't be able to leave me. [1310] (Clov resumes his pacing.) [1311] What are you doing?

[1312] Ideating ^{Having an idea}. [1313] (He pav^ces.) [1314] Ah!

[1316] What a mind ^brain! [1317] (Pause.) [1318] Well?

[1319] Wait. [1320] (He meditates. [1321] Not very convinced.) [1322] Yes... [1323] (Pause. [1324] More convinced.) [1325] Yes! [1326] (He raises his head.à⁾ [1327] I have it. [1328] I set the alarm-clock.

[1330] This is perhaps not one of my good ^bright days, but frankm^ly -

[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? [1339] (Pause. [1340] Impatiently.) [1341] The alarm-clock, is it working?

[1342] Why wouldn't it be working,

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

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

[1345] (angrily). [1346] Then because it's been working too little!

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

[1357] Vaguely.

[1358] The end is extraordinary. ^terrific.

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

[1362] No. [1363] (He goes to the door, turns.) [1364] L^I'll leave you.

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

[1367] No.

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

[1369] Clov goes to the bins, lifts the lid of Nagg's, looks into it, stoops over it. [1370] Pause. [1371] He straightens up.

[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.

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

[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 door, turns.) [1392] Do you believe in the life to come.^?

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

[1397] I'm listening.

[1398] Scoundrel! [1399] What made ^{Why did} you engender 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.^?

[1406] After the audition.

[1407] You swear?

[1408] Yes.

[1409] On what?

[1410] My honour. [1411] Pai^use. [1412] They laugh.

[1413] 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 finishes^d, we're finished. [1423] (Pause.) [1424] It's n^Nearly finished. [1425] (Pause.) [1426] There'll be no more speech. [1427] (Pause.) [1428] A drip 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 va^ein. [1433] (Pause.) [1434] A little artery. [1435] (Pause. [1436] Mot^re animated.) [1437] Enough of that, it's story time, where was I? [1438] '⁽Pause. [1439] Narrative tone.) [1440] The man