The Complete Dramatic Works (21 page)

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
You haven’t put on his ribbon.

CLOV:
[
Angrily.
]
But he isn’t finished, I tell you! First you finish your dog and then you put on
his ribbon!

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
Can he stand?

CLOV:
I don’t know.

HAMM:
Try. [
He
hands
the
dog
to
 
CLOV
who
places
it
on
the
ground.
]
Well?

CLOV:
Wait!

[
He
squats
down
and
tries
to
get
the
dog
to
stand
on
its
three
legs,
fails,
lets
it
go.
The
dog
falls
on
its
side.
]

HAMM:
[
Impatiently.
]
Well?

CLOV:
He’s standing.

HAMM:
[
Groping
for
the
dog.
]
Where? Where is he?

[
CLOV
holds
up
the
dog
in
a
standing
position.
]

CLOV:
There.

[
He
takes
HAMM
’
s
hand
and
guides
it
towards
the
dog’s
head.
]

HAMM:
[
His
hand
on
the
dog’s
head.
]
Is he gazing at me?

CLOV:
Yes.

HAMM:
[
Proudly.
]
As if he were asking me to take him for a walk?

CLOV:
If you like.

HAMM:
[
As
before.
]
Or as if he were begging me for a bone. [
He
withdraws
his
hand.
]
Leave him like that, standing there imploring me.

[
CLOV
straightens
up.
The
dog
falls
on
its
side.
]

CLOV:
I’ll leave you.

HAMM:
Have you had your visions?

CLOV:
Less.

HAMM:
Is Mother Pegg’s light on?

CLOV:
Light! How could anyone’s light be on?

HAMM:
Extinguished!

CLOV:
Naturally it’s extinguished. If it’s not on it’s extinguished.

HAMM:
No, I mean Mother Pegg.

CLOV:
But naturally she’s extinguished! [
Pause.
]
What’s the matter with you today?

HAMM:
I’m taking my course. [
Pause.
]
Is she buried?

CLOV:
Buried! Who would have buried her?

HAMM:
You.

CLOV:
Me! Haven’t I enough to do without burying people?

HAMM:
But you’ll bury me.

CLOV:
No I shan’t bury you.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
She was bonny once, like a flower of the field. [
With
reminiscent
leer.
]
And a great one for the men!

CLOV:
We too were bonny – once. It’s a rare thing not to have been bonny – once.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
Go and get the gaff.

[
CLOV
goes
to
door,
halts.
]

CLOV:
Do this, do that, and I do it. I never refuse. Why?

HAMM:
You’re not able to.

CLOV:
Soon I won’t do it any more.

HAMM:
You won’t be able to any more. [
Exit
CLOV
.] Ah the creatures, the creatures, everything has to be explained to them.

[
Enter
CLOV
with
gaff.
]

CLOV:
Here’s your gaff. Stick it up.

[
He
gives
the
gaff
to
HAMM
who,
wielding
it
like
a
punt-
pole,
tries
to
move
his
chair.
]

HAMM:
Did I move?

CLOV:
No.

[
HAMM
throws
down
the
gaff.
]

HAMM:
Go and get the oilcan.

CLOV:
What for?

HAMM:
To oil the castors.

CLOV:
I oiled them yesterday.

HAMM:
Yesterday! What does that mean? Yesterday!

CLOV:
[
Violently.
]
That means that bloody awful day, long ago, before this bloody awful day. I use the
words you taught me. If they don’t mean anything any more, teach me others. Or let
me be silent.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
I once knew a madman who thought the end of the world had come. He was a painter
– and engraver. I had a great fondness for him. I used to go and see him, in the asylum.
I’d take him by the hand and drag him to the window. Look! There! All that rising
corn! And there! Look! The sails of the herring fleet! All that loveliness! [
Pause.
]
He’d snatch away his hand and go back into his corner. Appalled. All he had seen
was ashes. [
Pause.
]
He alone had been spared. [
Pause.
]
Forgotten. [
Pause.
]
It appears the case is … was not so … so unusual.

CLOV:
A madman? When was that?

HAMM:
Oh way back, way back, you weren’t in the land of the living.

CLOV:
God be with the days!

[
Pause.
HAMM
raises
his
toque.
]

HAMM:
I had a great fondness for him. [
Pause.
He
puts
on
his
toque
again.
]
He was a painter – and engraver.

CLOV:
There are so many terrible things.

HAMM:
No, no, there are not so many now. [
Pause.
]
Clov!

CLOV:
Yes.

HAMM:
Do you not think this has gone on long enough?

CLOV:
Yes! [
Pause.
]
What?

HAMM:
This … this … thing.

CLOV:
I’ve always thought so. [
Pause.
]
You not?

HAMM:
[
Gloomily.
]
Then it’s a day like any other day.

CLOV:
As long as it lasts. [
Pause.
]
All life long the same inanities.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
I can’t leave you.

CLOV:
I know. And you can’t follow me.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
If you leave me how shall I know?

CLOV:
[
Briskly.
]
Well you simply whistle me and if I don’t come running it means I’ve left you.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
You won’t come and kiss me good-bye?

CLOV:
Oh I shouldn’t think so.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
But you might be merely dead in your kitchen.

CLOV:
The result would be the same.

HAMM:
Yes, but how would I know, if you were merely dead in your kitchen?

CLOV:
Well … sooner or later I’d start to stink.

HAMM:
You stink already. The whole place stinks of corpses.

CLOV:
The whole universe.

HAMM:
[
Angrily.
]
To hell with the universe! [
Pause.
]
Think of something.

CLOV:
What?

HAMM:
An idea, have an idea. [
Angrily.
]
A bright idea!

CLOV:
Ah good. [
He
starts
pacing
to
and
fro,
his
eyes
fixed
on 
the
ground,
his
hands
behind
his
hack.
He
halts.
] The pains in my legs! It’s unbelievable! Soon I won’t be able to think any more.

HAMM:
You won’t be able to leave me. [
CLOV
resumes
his
pacing.
]
What are you doing?

CLOV:
Having an idea. [
He
paces.
]
Ah!

[
He
halts.
]

HAMM:
What a brain! [
Pause.
]
Well?

CLOV:
Wait! [
He
meditates.
Not
very
convinced.
]
Yes … [
Pause.
More
convinced.
]
Yes! [
He
raises
his
head.
]
I have it! I set the alarm.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
This is perhaps not one of my bright days, but frankly –

CLOV:
You whistle me. I don’t come. The alarm rings. I’m gone. It doesn’t ring. I’m dead.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
Is it working? [
Pause.
Impatiently.
]
The alarm, is it working?

CLOV:
Why wouldn’t it be working?

HAMM:
Because it’s worked too much.

CLOV:
But it’s hardly worked at all.

HAMM:
[
Angrily
]
Then because it’s worked too little!

CLOV:
I’ll go and see. [
Exit
 
CLOV
.
Brief
ring
of
alarm
off.
Enter 
CLOV
with
alarm-clock.
He
holds
it
against
HAMM
’
s
ear
and
releases
alarm.
They
listen
to
it
ringing
to
the
end.
Pause.
]
Fit to wake the dead! Did you hear it?

HAMM:
Vaguely.

CLOV:
The end is terrific!

HAMM:
I prefer the middle. [
Pause.
]
Is it not time for my pain-killer?

CLOV:
No! [
He
goes
to
the
door,
turns.
]
I’ll leave you.

HAMM:
It’s time for my story. Do you want to listen to my story?

CLOV:
No.

HAMM:
Ask my father if he wants to listen to my story.

[
CLOV
goes
to
bins,
raises
the
lid
of
NAGG
’
s
,
stoops,
looks
into
it.
Pause.
He
straightens
up.
]

CLOV:
He’s asleep.

HAMM:
Wake him.

[
CLOV
stoops,
wakes
NAGG
with
the
alarm.
Unintelligible
words.
CLOV
straightens
up.
]

CLOV:
He doesn’t want to listen to your story.

HAMM:
I’ll give him a bon-bon.

[
CLOV
stoops.
As
before.
]

CLOV:
He wants a sugar-plum.

HAMM:
He’ll get a sugar-plum.

[
CLOV
stoops.
As
before.
]

CLOV:
It’s a deal. [
He
goes
towards
door,
 
NAGG
’
s
hands
appear,
gripping
the
rim.
Then
the
head
emerges,
CLOV
reaches
door,
turns.
]
Do you believe in the life to come?