Complete Works, Volume I (9 page)

MCCANN
(
to
MEG
). Ever been to Carrikmacross?

MEG
(
drinking
). I've been to King's Cross.

LULU
. You came right out of the blue, you know that?

GOLDBERG
(
as she moves
). Mind how you go. You're cracking a rib.

MEG
(
standing
). I want to dance! (
LULU
and
GOLDBERG
look into each other
‘
s eyes.
MCCANN
drinks.
MEG
crosses to
STANLEY
). Stanley. Dance. (
STANLEY
sits still,
MEG
dances round the room alone, then comes back to
MCCANN
,
who fills her glass. She sits.
)

LULU
(
to
GOLDBERG
). Shall I tell you something?

GOLDBERG
. What?

LULU.
I trust you.

GOLDBERG
(
lifting
his glass
). Gesundheit.

LULU
. Have you got a wife?

GOLDBERG
. I had a wife. What a wife. Listen to this. Friday, of an afternoon, I'd take myself for a little constitutional, down over the park. Eh, do me a favour, just sit on the table a minute, will you? (
LULU
sits on the table. He stretches and continues.
) A little constitutional. I'd say hullo to the little boys, the little girls—I never made distinctions—and then back I'd go, back to my bungalow with the flat roof. “Simey,” my wife used to shout, “quick, before it gets cold!” And there on the table what would I see? The nicest piece of roll-mop and pickled cucumber you could wish to find on a plate.

LULU
. I thought your name was Nat.

GOLDBERG
. She called me Simey.

LULU
. I bet you were a good husband.

GOLDBERG
. You should have seen her funeral.

LULU
. Why?

GOLDBERG
(
draws in his breath and wags head
). What a funeral.

MEG
(
to
MCCANN
). My father was going to take me to Ireland once. But then he went away by himself.

LULU
(
to
GOLDBERG
). Do you think you knew me when I was a little girl?

GOLDBERG
. Were you a nice little girl?

LULU
. I was.

MEG
. I don't know if he went to Ireland.

GOLDBERG
. Maybe I played piggy-back with you.

LULU
. Maybe you did.

MEG
. He didn't take me.

GOLDBERG
. Or pop goes the weasel.

LULU
. Is that a game?

GOLDBERG
. Sure it's a game!

MCCANN
. Why didn't he take you to Ireland?

LULU
. You're tickling me!

GOLDBERG
. You should worry.

LULU
. I've always liked older men. They can soothe you.

They embrace.

MCCANN
. I know a place. Roscrea. Mother Nolan's.

MEG
. There was a night-light in my room, when I was a little girl.

MCCANN
. One time I stayed there all night with the boys. Singing and drinking all night.

MEG
. And my Nanny used to sit up with me, and sing songs to me.

MCCANN
. And a plate of fry in the morning. Now where am I?

MEG
. My little room was pink. I had a pink carpet and pink curtains, and I had musical boxes all over the room. And they played me to sleep. And my father was a very big doctor. That's why I never had any complaints. I was cared for, and I had little sisters and brothers in other rooms, all different colours.

MCCANN
. Tullamore, where are you?

MEG
(
to
MCCANN
). Give us a drop more.

MCCANN
(
filling her glass and singing
). Glorio, Glorio, to the bold Fenian men!

MEG
. Oh, what a lovely voice.

GOLDBERG
. Give us a song, McCann.

LULU
. A love song!

MCCANN
(
reciting
). The night that poor Paddy was stretched, the boys they all paid him a visit.

GOLDBERG
. A love song!

MCCANN
(
in a full voice, sings
)

Oh, the Garden of Eden has vanished, they say,

But I know the lie of it still.

Just turn to the left at the foot of Ben Clay

And stop when halfway to Coote Hill.

It's there you will find it, I know sure enough,

And it's whispering over to me:

Come back, Paddy Reilly, to Bally-James-Duff,

Come home, Paddy Reilly, to me!

LULU
(
to
GOLDBERG
). You're the dead image of the first man I ever loved.

GOLDBERG
. It goes without saying.

MEG
(
rising
). I want to play a game!

GOLDBERG
. A game?

LULU
. What game?

MEG
. Any game.

LULU
(
jumping up
). Yes, let's play a game.

GOLDBERG
. What game?

MCCANN
. Hide and seek.

LULU
. Blind man's buff.

MEG
. Yes!

GOLDBERG
. You want to play blind man's buff?

LULU
and
MEG
. Yes!

GOLDBERG
. All right. Blind man's buff. Come on! Everyone up! (
Rising.
) McCann. Stanley—Stanley!

MEG
. Stanley. Up.

GOLDBERG
. What's the matter with him?

MEG
(
bending over him
). Stanley, we're going to play a game. Oh, come on, don't be sulky, Stan.

LULU
. Come on.

STANLEY
rises
.
MCCANN
rises.

GOLDBERG
. Right! Now—who's going to be blind first?

LULU
. Mrs Boles.

MEG
. Not me.

GOLDBERG
. Of course you.

MEG
. Who, me?

LULU
(
taking her scarf from her neck
). Here you are.

MCCANN
. How do you play this game?

LULU
(
tying her scarf round
MEG
’S
eyes
). Haven't you ever played blind man's buff? Keep still, Mrs Boles. You mustn't be touched. But you can't move after she's blind. You must stay where you are after she's blind. And if she touches you then you become blind. Turn round. How many fingers am I holding up?

MEG
. I can't see.

LULU
. Right.

GOLDBERG
. Right! Everyone move about. McCann. Stanley. Now stop. Now still. Off you go!

STANLEY
is downstage, right
,
MEG
moves about the room.
GOLDBERG
fondles
LULU
at arm's length.
MEG
touches
MCCANN
.

MEG
. Caught you!

LULU
. Take off your scarf.

MEG
. What lovely hair!

LULU
(
untying the scarf
). There.

MEG
. It's you!

GOLDBERG
. Put it on, McCann.

LULU
(
tying it on
MCCANN
). There. Turn round. How many fingers am I holding up?

MCCANN
. I don't know.

GOLDBERG
. Right! Everyone move about. Right. Stop! Still!

MCCANN
begins to move.

MEG
. Oh, this is lovely!

GOLDBERG
. Quiet! Tch, tch, tch. Now—all move again. Stop! Still!

MCCANN
moves about.
GOLDBERG
fondles
LULU
at arm’s length.
MCCANN
draws near
STANLEY
.
He stretches his arm and touches
STANLEY’S
glasses.

MEG
. It's Stanley!

GOLDBERG
(
to
LULU
). Enjoying the game?

MEG
. It's your turn, Stan.

MCCANN
takes off the scarf.

MCCANN
(
to
STANLEY
). I'll take your glasses.

MCCANN
takes
STANLEY’S
glasses.

MEG
. Give me the scarf.

GOLDBERG
(
holding
LULU
). Tie his scarf, Mrs. Boles.

MEG
. That's what I'm doing. (
To
STANLEY
.) Can you see my nose?

GOLDBERG
. He can't. Ready? Right! Everyone move. Stop! And still!

STANLEY
stands blindfold.
MCCANN
backs slowly across the stage to the left. He breaks
STANLEY’S
glasses, snapping the frames.
MEG
is downstage, left,
LULU
and
GOLDBERG
upstage centre, close together.
STANLEY
begins to move, very slowly, across the stage to the left.
MCCANN
pic
ks
up the drum and places it sideways in
STANLEY’S
path.
STANLEY
walks into the drum and falls over with his foot caught in it.

MEG
. Ooh!

GOLDBERG
. Sssh!

STANLEY
rises. He begins to move towards
MEG
,
dragging the drum on his foot. He reaches her and stops. His hands
move towards her and they reach her throat. He begins to strangle her.
MCCANN
and
GOLDBERG
rush forward and throw him off.

BLACKOUT

There is now no light at all through the window. The stage is in darkness.

LULU
. The lights!

GOLDBERG
. What's happened?

LULU
. The lights!

MCCANN
. Wait a minute.

GOLDBERG
. Where is he?

MCCANN
. Let go of me!

GOLDBERG
. Who's this?

LULU
. Someone's touching me!

MCCANN
. Where is he?

MEG
. Why has the light gone out?

GOLDBERG
. Where's your torch? (
MCCANN
shines the torch in
GOLDBERG’S
face.
) Not on me! (
MCCANN
shifts the torch. It is knocked from his hand and falls. It goes out.
)

MCCANN
. My torch!

LULU
. Oh God!

GOLDBERG
. Where's your torch? Pick up your torch!

MCCANN
. I can't find it.

LULU
. Hold me. Hold me.

GOLDBERG
. Get down on your knees. Help him find the torch.

LULU
. I can't.

MCCANN
. It's gone.

MEG
. Why has the light gone out?

GOLDBERG
. Everyone quiet! Help him find the torch.

Silence. Grunts from
MCCANN
and
GOLDBERG
on their knees. Suddenly there is a sharp, sustained rat-a-tat with a stick on the side of the drum from the back of the room. Silence. Whimpers from
LULU
.

GOLDBERG
. Over here. McCann!

MCCANN
. Here.

GOLDBERG
. Come to me, come to me. Easy. Over there.
GOLDBERG
and
MCCANN
move up left of the table.
STANLEY
moves down right of the table.
LULU
suddenly perceives him moving towards her, screams and faints.
GOLDBERG
and
MCCANN
turn and stumble against each other.

GOLDBERG
. What is it?

MCCANN
. Who's that?

GOLDBERG
. What is it?

In the darkness
STANLEY
picks up
LULU
and places her on the table.

MEG
. It's Lulu!

GOLDBERG
and
MCCANN
move downstage, right.

GOLDBERG
. Where is she?

MCCANN
. She fell.

GOLDBERG
. Where?

MCCANN
. About here.

GOLDBERG
. Help me pick her up.

MCCANN
(
moving downstage, left
). I can't find her.