Complete Works, Volume III (12 page)

WENDY
. I think I'll have to put my feet on the chair, really, to hoist myself up.

DISSON
. You can hoist yourself up without using your feet.

WENDY
(
dubiously
). Well
. . .

DISSON
. Look, get up or stay down. Make up your mind. One thing or the other. I want to get on with my letter to Birmingham.

WENDY
. I was just wondering if you'd mind if I put my high-heeled shoes on your chair . . . to help me get up.

Pause.

DISSON
. I don't mind.

WENDY
. But I'm worried in case my heels might chip the wood. They're rather sharp, these heels.

DISSON
. Are they?

Pause.

Well, try it, anyway. You won't chip the wood.

WENDY
puts her feet on the chair and hoists herself up on to the desk
.

He watches.

WENDY
settles herself on the desk and picks up her pen and pad. She reads from the pad.

WENDY
. There should be no difficulty in meeting your requirements.

Disson’s house. Games room. Day
.

DISSON
and
WILLY
are playing ping-pong
.
THE TWINS
watch. A long rally
.
DISSON
backhand flips to win the point
.

JOHN
. Good shot, Dad.

TOM
. Thirteen-eighteen.

WILLY
. Your backhand's in form, Robert.

JOHN
. Attack his forehand.

WILLY
serves. A rally.
WILLY
attacks
DISSON’S
forehand
.
DISSON
moves over to his right and then flips backhand to win the point
.
THE TWINS
applaud
.

TOM
. Thirteen-nineteen.

WILLY
. Backhand flip on the forehand, eh?

WILLY
serves
.

From
DISSON’S
point of view see two balls bounce and leap past both ears
.

TWINS
. Shot!

TOM
. Fourteen-nineteen.

DISSON
puts down his bat and walks slowly to
WILLY
.

DISSON
. You served two balls, old chap.

WILLY
. Two balls?

DISSON
. You sent me two balls.

WILLY
. No, no. Only one.

DISSON
. Two.

Pause.

JOHN
. One, Dad.

DISSON
. What?

TOM
. One.

Pause.

WILLY
walks to
DISSON’S
end, bends.

WILLY
. Look.

WILLY
picks up one ball.

One ball. Catch!

He throws the ball.
DISSON
gropes, loses sight of the ball. It bounces under the table. He crouches, leans under the table for it. Gets it, withdraws, looks up.
WILLY
and
THE TWINS
look down at him
.

Disley’s surgery
.

Room darkened
.

A torch shining in
DISSON’S
eyes. First the left eye, then the right eye. Torch out. Light on.

DISLEY
. There's nothing wrong with your eyes, old boy.

DISSON
. Nothing?

DISLEY
. They're in first-rate condition. Truly.

DISSON
. That's funny.

DISLEY
. I'd go as far as to say your sight was perfect.

DISSON
. Huh.

DISLEY
. Check the bottom line.

DISLEY
switches off the light, puts on the light on the letter board
.

What is it?

DISSON
. EXJLNVCGTY.

DISLEY
. Perfect.

Board light off. Room light on.

DISSON.
Yes, I know . . . I know that . . .

DISLEY
. Well, what are you worried about?

DISSON
. It's not that
. . .

DISLEY
. Colour? Do you confuse colours? Look at me. What colour am I?

DISSON
. Colourless.

DISLEY
(
laughs, stops
). Very funny. What distinguishing marks can you see about me?

DISSON
. Two.

DISLEY
. What?

DISSON
. You have one grey strip in your hair, quite faint.

DISLEY
. Good. What's the other?

DISSON
. You have a brown stain on your left cheek.

DISLEY
. A brown stain? Can you see that? (
He looks in the mirror
.) I didn't know it was so evident.

DISSON
. Of course it's evident. It stains your face.

DISLEY
. Don't
. . .
go on about it, old boy. I didn't realize it was so evident. No-one's ever noticed it before.

DISSON
. Not even your wife?

DISLEY
. Yes, she has. Anyway, I’d say your eyes are sharp enough. What colour are those lampshades?

DISSON
. They're dark blue drums. Each has a golden rim. The carpet is Indian.

DISLEY
. That's not a colour.

DISSON
. It's white. Over there, by that cabinet, I can see a deep black burn.

DISLEY
. A burn? Where? Do you mean that shadow?

DISSON
. That's not a shadow. It's a burn.

DISLEY
(
looking
). So it is. How the hell did that happen?

DISSON
. Listen . . . I never said I couldn't see. You don't understand. Most of the time . . . my eyesight is excellent. It always has been. But . . . it's become unreliable. It's become . . . erratic. Sometimes, quite suddenly, very occasionally, something happens . . . something . . . goes wrong . . . with my eyes.

Pause.

DISLEY
. I can find no evidence that your sight is in any way deficient.

DISSON
. You don't understand.

A knock at the door
.
LOIS
appears
.

LOIS
. I'm just going out. Wanted to say hullo to you before I go.

DISSON
. Hullo, Lois.

He kisses her cheek
.

LOIS
. You've been in here for ages. Don't tell me you need glasses?

DISLEY
. His eyes are perfect.

LOIS
. They look it.

DISSON
. What a lovely dress you're wearing.

LOIS
. Do you like it? Really?

DISSON
. Of course I like it.

LOIS
. You must see if the birds are still there.

She lifts the blind
.

Yes, they are. They're all at the bird bath.

They all look into the garden
.

Look at them. They're so happy. They love my bath. They do, really. They love it. They make me so happy, my birds. And they seem to know, instinctively, that I adore them. They do really.

Disson’s house. Bedroom. Night.

DISSON
alone, in front of a mirror.

He is tying his tie. He ties it. The front end hangs only half-way down his chest.

He unties it, ties it again. The front end, this time, is even shorter.

He unties it, holds the tie and looks at it.

He then ties the tie again. This time the two ends are of equal length.

He breathes deeply, relaxes, goes out of the room.

Disson’s house. Dining room. Night.

DIANA, WILLY, DISSON
at dinner
.

DIANA.
I'd say she was a real find.

WILLY
. Oh, she's of inestimable value to the firm, wouldn't you say, Robert?

DISSON
. Oh yes.

DIANA
. I mean for someone who's not . . . actually . . . part of us . . . I mean, an outsider . . . to give such devotion and willingness to the job, as she does . . . well, it's remarkable. We were very lucky to find her.

DISSON
. I found her, actually.

WILLY
. You found me, too, old boy.

DIANA
(
laughing
). And me.

Pause.

She's of course so completely trustworthy, and so very persuasive, on the telephone. I've heard her . . . when the door's been open . . . once or twice.

WILLY
. Oh, splendid girl, all round.

DISSON
. She's not so bloody marvellous.

Pause. They look at him.

She's all right, she's all right. But she's not so bloody marvellous.

DIANA
. Well, perhaps not quite as accomplished as I am, no. Do you think I'm a good private secretary,
Willy
?

WILLY
. First rate.

Pause. They eat and drink
.

DISSON
. I don't think it's a good idea for you to work.

DIANA
. Me? Why not? I love it.

DISSON
. I never see you. If you were at home I could take the occasional afternoon off . . . to see you. As it is I never see you. In day-time.

DIANA
. You mean I'm so near and yet so far?

Pause
.

DISSON
. Yes.

DIANA
. Would you prefer me to be your secretary?

DISSON
. No, no, of course not. That wouldn't work at all.

Pause.

WILLY
. But we do all meet at lunch-time. We meet in the evening.

DISSON
looks at him
.

DIANA
. But I like working. You wouldn't want me to work for someone else, would you, somewhere else?

DISSON
. I certainly wouldn't. You know what Wendy told me, don't you?

DIANA
. What?

DISSON
. She told me her last employer was always touching her.

WILLY.
No?

DISSON
. Always. Touching her.

DIANA
. Her body, you mean?

DISSON
. What else?

Pause.

DIANA
. Well, if we're to take it that that's general practice, I think it's safer to stay in the family, don't you? Mind you, they might not want to touch me in the way they wanted to touch her.

Pause.

But, Robert, you must understand that I not only want to be your wife, but also your employee. I'm not embarrassing you, am I, Willy?

WILLY
. No, of course you're not.

DIANA
. Because by being your employee I can help to further your interests, our interests. That's what I want to do. And so does Willy, don't you?

Disson’s office. Morning.

DISSON
alone. He stands in the centre of the room
.
He looks at the door, walks over to
WENDY’S
desk. He looks down at her desk-chair. He touches it. Slowly, he sits in it. He sits still. The door opens
.
WENDY
comes in. He stands
.

DISSON
. You're late.

WENDY
. You were sitting in my chair, Mr Disson.

DISSON
. I said you're late.

WENDY.
I'm not at all.

WENDY
walks to her desk.

DISSON
makes way for her. He moves across the room.

I'm hurt.

DISSON.
Why?

WENDY
. I've put on my new dress.

He turns, looks at her
.

DISSON
. When did you put it on?

WENDY.
This morning.

Pause.

DISSON
. Where?

WENDY
. In my flat.

DISSON
. Which room?

WENDY
. In the hall, actually. I have a long mirror in the hall.

He stands looking at her
.

Do you like it?

DISSON
. Yes. Very nice.

Disson’s house. Workroom.

DISSON
. Hold it firmly. You're not holding it firmly.

TOM
holds a length of wood on the table.
DISSON
chips at its base
.

Use pressure. Grip it.

JOHN
. A clamp would be better.

DISSON
. A clamp? I want you boys to learn how to concentrate your physical energies, to do something useful.

JOHN
. What's it going to be, Dad?

DISSON
. You'll find out.

DISSON
chips. He straightens.

Give me the saw.

JOHN
. Me?

DISSON
. The saw! Give me it! (
To
TOM.
) What are you doing?

TOM.
I'm holding this piece of wood.

DISSON
. Well, stop it. I've finished chipping. Look at the point now.