The Iceman Cometh (26 page)

What’s wrong with this booze? There’s no kick in it.

ROCKY

Worriedly
.

Jees, Larry, Hugo had it right. He does look like he’d croaked.

HICKEY

Annoyed
.

Don’t be a damned fool! Give him time. He’s coming along all right.
He calls
to
HOPE
with a first trace of underlying uneasiness
. You’re all right, aren’t you, Harry?

HOPE

Dully
.

I want to pass out like Hugo.

LARRY

Turns
to
HICKEY
—
with bitter anger
.

It’s the peace of death you’ve brought him.

HICKEY

For the first time loses his temper
.

That’s a lie!

But he controls this instantly and grins
.

Well, well, you did manage to get a rise out of me that time. I think such a hell of a lot of Harry—
Impatiently
.

You know that’s damned foolishness. Look at me. I’ve been through it. Do I look dead? Just leave Harry alone and wait until the shock wears off and you’ll see. He’ll be a new man. Like I am.

He called
to
HOPE
coaxingly
.

How’s it coming, Governor? Beginning to feel free, aren’t you? Relieved and not guilty any more?

HOPE

Grumbles spiritlessly
.

Bejees, you must have been monkeying with the booze, too, you interfering bastard! There’s no life in it now. I want to get drunk and pass out. Let’s all pass out. Who the hell cares?

HICKEY

Lowering his voice
—
worriedly to
LARRY
.

I admit I didn’t think he’d be hit so hard. He’s always been a happy-go-lucky slob. Like I was. Of course, it hit me hard, too. But only for a minute. Then I felt as if a ton of guilt had been lifted off my mind. I saw what had happened was the only possible way for the peace of all concerned.

LARRY

Sharply
.

What was it happened? Tell us that! And don’t try to get out of it! I

want a straight answer!

Vindictively
.

I think it was something you drove someone else to do!

HICKEY

Puzzled
. Someone else?

LARRY

Accusingly
.

What did your wife die of? You’ve kept that a deep secret, I notice— for some reason!

HICKEY

Reproachfully
.

You’re not very considerate, Larry. But, if you insist on knowing now, there’s no reason you shouldn’t. It was a bullet through the head that killed Evelyn.

There is a second’s tense silence
.

HOPE

Dully
.

Who the hell cares? To hell with her and that nagging old hag, Bessie.

ROCKY

Christ. You had de right dope, Larry.

LARRY

Revengefully
.

You drove your poor wife to suicide? I knew it! Be God, I don’t blame her! I’d almost do as much myself to be rid of you! It’s what you’d like to drive us all to—

Abruptly he is ashamed of himself and pitying
.

I’m sorry, Hickey. I’m a rotten louse to throw that in your face.

HICKEY

Quietly
.

Oh, that’s all right, Larry. But don’t jump at conclusions. I didn’t say poor Evelyn committed suicide. It’s the last thing she’d ever have done, as long as I was alive for her to take care of and forgive. If you’d known her at all, you’d never get such a crazy suspicion.

He pauses
—
then slowly
.

No, I’m sorry to have to tell you my poor wife was killed.

LARRY
stares at him with growing horror and shrinks back along the bar away from him
.
PARRITT
jerks
his head up from his hands and looks around frightenedly, not at
HICKEY
,
but at
LARRY
.
ROCKY
s
round eyes are popping
.
HOPE
stares dully at the table top
.
HUGO
,
his head hidden in his arms, gives no sign of life
.

LARRY

Shakenly
.

Then she—was murdered.

PARRITT

Springs to his feet
—
stammers defensively
.

You’re a liar, Larry! You must be crazy to say that to me! You know

she’s still alive!

But no one pays any attention to him
.

ROCKY

Blurts out
.

Moidered? Who done it?

LARRY

His eyes fixed with fascinated horror on
HICKEY
—
frightenedly
. Don’t ask questions, you dumb Wop! It’s none of our damned business! Leave Hickey alone!

HICKEY

Smiles at him with affectionate amusement
.

Still the old grandstand bluff, Larry? Or is it some more bum pity?

He turns to
ROCKY
—
matter-of-factly
.

The police don’t know who killed her yet, Rocky. But I expect they will before very long.

As if that finished the subject, he comes forward
to
HOPE
and sits beside him, with an arm around his shoulder
—
affectionately coaxing
. Coming along fine now, aren’t you, Governor? Getting over the first shock? Beginning to feel free from guilt and lying hopes and at peace with yourself?

HOPE

With a dull callousness
.

Somebody croaked your Evelyn, eh? Bejees, my bets are on the iceman! But who the hell cares? Let’s get drunk and pass out.
He tosses down his drink with a lifeless, automatic movement
—
complainingly
.

Bejees, what did you do to the booze, Hickey? There’s no damned life left in it.

PARRITT

Stammers, his eyes on
LARRY
,
whose eyes in turn remain fixed on

HICKEY
.

Don’t look like that, Larry! You’ve got to believe what I told you! It had nothing to do with her! It was just to get a few lousy dollars!

HUGO

Suddenly raises his head from his arms and, looking straight in front of him, pounds on the table frightenedly with his small fists
.

Don’t be a fool! Buy me a trink! But no more vine! It is not properly iced!

With guttural rage
.

Gottamned stupid proletarian slaves! Buy me a trink or I vill have you shot!

He collapses into abject begging
.

Please, for Gott’s sake! I am not trunk enough! I cannot sleep! Life is a crazy monkey-face! Always there is blood beneath the villow trees!

I hate it and I am afraid!

He hides his face on his arms, sobbing muffledly
.

Please, I am crazy trunk! I say crazy things! For Gott’s sake, do not listen to me!

But no one pays any attention to him
.
LARRY
stands shrunk back against the bar
.
ROCKY
is leaning over it. They stare at
HICKEY
.
PARRITT
stands looking pleadingly at
LARRY
.

HICKEY

Gazes with worried kindliness
at
HOPE
.

You’re beginning to worry me, Governor. Something’s holding you up somewhere. I don’t see why—You’ve faced the truth about yourself. You’ve done what you had to do to kill your nagging pipe dreams. Oh, I know it knocks you cold. But only for a minute. Then you see it was the only possible way to peace. And you feel happy. Like I did. That’s what worries me about you, Governor. It’s time you began to feel happy—

CURTAIN

SCENE

Same as Act One
—
the back room with the curtain separating it from the section of the barroom with its single table at right of curtain, front. It is around half past one in the morning of the following day
.

The tables in the back room have a new arrangement. The one at left, front, before the window to the yard, is in the same position. So is the one at the right, rear, of it in the second row. But this table now has only one chair. This chair is at right of it, facing directly front. The two tables on either side of the door at rear are unchanged. But the table which was at center, front, has been pushed toward right so that it and the table at right, rear, of it in the second row, and the last table at right in the front row, are now jammed so closely together that they form one group
.

LARRY
,
HUGO
and
PARRITT
are at the table at left, front
.
LARRY
is
at left of it, beside the window, facing front
.
HUGO
sits at rear, facing front, his head on his arms in his habitual position, but he is not asleep. On
HUGO
’s
left is
PARRITT
,
his chair facing left, front. At right of table, an empty chair, facing left
.
LARRY
’s
chin is on his chest, his eyes fixed on the floor. He will not look at
PARRITT
,
who keeps staring at him with a sneering, pleading challenge
.

Two bottles of whiskey are on each table, whiskey and chaser glasses, a pitcher of water
.

The one chair by the table at right, rear, of them is vacant
.

At the first tab
le
at right of center
,
CORA
sits at left, front, of it, facing front. Around the rear of this table are four empty chairs. Opposite
CORA
,
in a sixth chair, is
CAPTAIN LEWIS
,
also facing front. On his left
,
MCGLOIN
is facing front in a chair before the middle table of his group. At right, rear, of him, also at this table
,
GENERAL WETJOEN
sits facing front. In back of this table are three empty chairs
.

At right, rear
, of
WETJOEN
,
but beside the last table of the group, sits
WILLIE
.
On willi
e’s
left, at rear of table
, is
HOPE
.
On
HOPE
’
s left, at right, rear, of table
, is mosher.
Finally, at right of table
is
JIMMY TOMORROW
.
All of the four sit facing front
.

There is an atmosphere of oppressive stagnation in the room, and a quality of insensibility about all the people in this group at right. They are like wax figures, set stiffly on their chairs, carrying out mechanically the motions of getting drunk but sunk in a numb stupor which is impervious to stimulation
.

In the bar section
,
joe
is sprawled in the chair at right of table, facing left. His head rolls forward in a sodden slumber
.
ROCKY
is standing behind his chair, regarding him with dull hostility
.
ROCKY
’s
face is set in an expression of tired, callous toughness. He looks now like a minor Wop gangster
.

ROCKY

Shakes
joe
by the shoulder
.

Come on, yuh damned nigger! Beat it in de back room! It’s after hours.

But
JOE
remains inert
.
ROCKY
gives up
.

Aw, to hell wid it. Let de dump get pinched. I’m through wid dis lousy job, anyway!

He hears someone at rear and calls
.

Who’s dat?

CHUCK
appears from rear. He has been drinking heavily, but there is no lift to his jag; his manner is grouchy and sullen. He has evidently been brawling. His knuckles are raw and there is a mouse under one eye. He has lost his straw hat, his tie is awry, and his blue suit is dirty
.
ROCKY
eyes him indifferently
.

Been scrappin’, huh? Started off on your periodical, ain’t yuh?
For a second there is a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes
.

CHUCK

Yeah, ain’t yuh glad?