The Complete Dramatic Works (24 page)

CLOV:
In spirit only.

HAMM:
Which?

CLOV:
Both.

HAMM:
Gone from me you’d be dead.

CLOV:
And
vice
versa.

HAMM:
Outside of here it’s death! [
Pause.
]
And the rat?

CLOV:
He’s got away.

HAMM:
He can’t go far. [
Pause.
Anxious.
]
Eh?

CLOV:
He doesn’t need to go far.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
Is it not time for my pain-killer?

CLOV:
Yes.

HAMM:
Ah! At last! Give it to me! Quick!

[
Pause.
]

CLOV:
There’s no more pain-killer.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
[
Appalled.
]
Good …! [
Pause.
]
No more pain-killer!

CLOV:
No more pain-killer. You’ll never get any more pain-killer.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
But the little round box. It was full!

CLOV:
Yes. But now it’s empty.

[
Pause.
 
CLOV
starts
to
move
about
the
room.
He
is
looking
for
a
place
to
put
down
the
alarm-clock.
]

HAMM:
[
Soft.
]
What’ll I do? [
Pause.
In
a
scream.
]
What’ll I do?

[
CLOV
sees
the
picture,
takes
it
down,
stands
it
on
the
floor
with
its
face
to
wall,
hangs
up
the
alarm-clock
in
its
place.
]

What are you doing?

CLOV:
Winding up.

HAMM:
Look at the earth.

CLOV:
Again!

HAMM:
Since it’s calling to you.

CLOV:
is your throat sore? [
Pause.
]
Would you like a lozenge? [
Pause.
]
No? [
Pause.
]
Pity.

[
CLOV
goes,
humming,
towards
window
right,
halts
before
it,
looks
up
at
it.
]

HAMM:
Don’t sing.

CLOV:
[
Turning
towards 
HAMM
.] One hasn’t the right to sing any more?

HAMM:
No.

CLOV:
Then how can it end?

HAMM:
You want it to end?

CLOV:
I want to sing.

HAMM:
I can’t prevent you.

[
Pause,
 
CLOV
turns
towards
window
right.
]

CLOV:
What did I do with that steps? [
He
looks
round
for
ladder.
]
You didn’t see that steps? [
He
sees
it.
] Ah, about
time. [
He
goes
towards
window
left.
] Sometimes I wonder if I’m in my right mind. Then it passes over and I’m as lucid
as before. [
He
gets
up
on
ladder,
looks
out
of
window.
]
Christ, she’s under water! [
He
looks.
]
How can that be? [
He
pokes
forward
his
head,
his
hand
above
his
eyes.
]
It hasn’t rained. [
He
wipes
the
pane,
looks.
Pause.
] Ah what a mug I am! I’m on the wrong side! [
He
gets
down,
take
a
few
steps
towards
window
right.
]
Under water! [
He
goes
back
for
ladder.
]
What a mug I am! [
He
carries
ladder
towards
window
right.
]
Sometimes I wonder if I’m in my right senses. Then it passes off and I’m as intelligent
as ever. [
He
sets
down
ladder
under
window
right,
gets
up
on
it,
looks
out
of
window.
He
turns
towards
 
HAMM
.] Any particular sector you fancy? Or merely the whole thing?

HAMM:
Whole thing.

CLOV:
The general effect? Just a moment.

[
He
looks
out
of
window.
Pause.
]

HAMM:
Clov.

CLOV:
[
Absorbed.
]
Mmm.

HAMM:
Do you know what it is?

CLOV:
[
As before.
]
Mmm.

HAMM:
I was never there. [
Pause.
] Clov!

CLOV:
[
Turning
towards
HAMM
,
exasperated.
]
What is it?

HAMM:
I was never there.

CLOV:
Lucky for you.

[
He
looks
out
of
window.
]

HAMM:
Absent, always. It all happened without me. I don’t know what’s happened. [
Pause.
]
Do you know what’s happened? [
Pause.
]
Clov!

CLOV:
[
Turning
towards
 
HAMM
,
exasperated.
]
Do you want me to look at this muckheap, yes or no?

HAMM:
Answer me first.

CLOV:
What?

HAMM:
Do you know what’s happened?

CLOV:
When? Where?

HAMM:
[
Violently.
]
When! What’s happened! Use your head, can’t you! What has happened?

CLOV:
What for Christ’s sake does it matter?

[
He
looks
out
of
window.
]

HAMM:
I don’t know.

[
Pause.
 
CLOV
turns
towards
HAMM
.]

CLOV:
[
Harshly.
]
When old Mother Pegg asked you for oil for her lamp and you told her to get out to
hell, you knew what was happening then, no? [
Pause.
]
You know what she died of, Mother Pegg? Of darkness.

HAMM:
[
Feebly.
]
I hadn’t any.

CLOV:
[
As
before.
]
Yes, you had.

[
Pause.
]

HAMM:
Have you the glass?

CLOV:
No, it’s clear enough as it is.

HAMM:
Go and get it.

[
Pause,
 
CLOV
casts
up
his
eyes,
brandishes
his
fists.
He
loses
balance,
clutches
on
to
the
ladder.
He
starts
to
get
down,
halts.
]

CLOV:
There’s one thing I’ll never understand. [
He
gets
down.
] Why I always obey you. Can you explain that to me?

HAMM:
No … Perhaps it’s compassion. [
Pause.
]
A kind of great compassion. [
Pause.
]
Oh you won’t find it easy, you won’t find it easy.

[
Pause,
 
CLOV
begins
to
move
about
the
room
in
search
of
the
telescope.
]

CLOV:
I’m tired of our goings on, very tired. [
He
searches.
] You’re not sitting on it?

[
He
moves
the
chair,
looks
at
the
place
where
it
stood,
resumes
his
search.
]

HAMM:
[
Anguished.
]
Don’t leave me there! [
Angrily
 
CLOV
restores
the
chair
to
its
place.
]
Am I right in the centre?

CLOV:
You’d need a microscope to find this – [
He
sees
the
telescope.
]
Ah, about time.

[
He
picks
up
the
telescope,
gets
up
on
the
ladder,
turns
the
telescope
on
the
without.
]

HAMM:
Give me the dog.

CLOV:
[
Looking.
]
Quiet!

HAMM:
[
Angrily.
]
Give me the dog!

[
CLOV
drops
the
telescope,
clasps
his
hands
to
his
head.
Pause.
He
gets
down
precipitately,
looks
for
the
dog,
sees
it,
picks
it
up,
hastens
towards 
HAMM
and
strikes
him
on
the
head
violently
with
the
dog.
]

CLOV:
There’s your dog for you!

[
The
dog
falls
to
the
ground.
Pause.
]

HAMM:
He hit me!

CLOV:
You drive me mad, I’m mad!

HAMM:
If you must hit me, hit me with the axe. [
Pause.
]
Or with the gaff, hit me with the gaff. Not with the dog. With the gaff. Or with
the axe.

[
CLOV
picks
up
the
dog
and
gives
it
to
HAMM
who
takes
it
in
his
arms.
]

CLOV:
[
Imploringly.
]
Let’s stop playing!

HAMM:
Never! [
Pause.
]
Put me in my coffin.

CLOV:
There are no more coffins.

HAMM:
Then let it end! [
CLOV
goes
towards
ladder.
]
With a bang! [
CLOV
gets
up
on
ladder,
gets
down
again,
looks
for
telescope,
sees
it,
picks
it
up,
gets
up
ladder,
raises
telescope.
]
Of darkness! And me? Did anyone ever have pity on me?

CLOV:
[
Lowering
the
telescope,
turning
towards
 
HAMM
.] What? [
Pause.
]
Is it me you’re referring to?

HAMM:
[
Angrily.
]
An aside, ape! Did you never hear an aside before? [
Pause.
]
I’m warming up for my last soliloquy.

CLOV:
I warn you. I’m going to look at this filth since it’s an order. But it’s the last
time. [
He
turns
the
telescope
on
the
without.
]
Let’s see. [
He
moves
the
telescope.
]
Nothing … nothing … good … good … nothing … goo – [
He
starts,
lowers
the
telescope,
examines
it,
turns
it
again
on
the
without.
Pause.
]
Bad luck to it!

HAMM:
More complications! [
CLOV
gets
down.
]
Not an underplot, I trust.

[
CLOV
moves
ladder
nearer
window,
gets
up
on
it,
turns
telescope
on
the
without.
]