Thirty Pieces of Silver: A Play in Three Acts (9 page)

HILDA
I don't know.

FULLER
We're not in court, Hilda. We could be in court, you know. But we're not. I ask questions—I expect answers.

HILDA
You're getting answers.

FULLER
(
who rises and ambles toward
HILDA
,
taking on now the approach of that kind of Southerner who sheds all humanity in his relationship with Negroes
) You surprise me, Hilda. I misjudged you—misjudged you completely. Here you are, all full of piss and vinegar——

HILDA
Don't use that kind of language to me!

FULLER
(
cupping his hand under her chin
) Bad talk, Hilda?

HILDA
Take your hand away. Don't touch me!

FULLER
(
standing hack and folding his arms
) Why Hilda, so help me, I think you're just a bad ni——

HILDA
Don't use that word either!

FULLER
—and I don't like that kind, Hilda. I don't like it at all, not one bit. l'm a Southerner, Hilda. I know you. Just talk plain and polite to me.

HILDA
(
turning to leave
) I don't intend to talk any way at all to you.

FULLER
Just one minute, Hilda.

(
A knife edge is in his voice.
HILDA
halts and turns around.
)

Don't play games with me, Hilda. I'm polite. Don't let my politeness fool you, Hilda. I represent the Department of Justice, Hilda. Don't under-estimate me; don't underestimate the department, Hilda. I want to ask you some questions. Don't dig a grave for yourself, Hilda. Talk polite to me.

HILDA
And call me Miss Smith.

FULLER
Very well, Miss Smith. Now first of all—why did Mr. Graham go out and where did he go?

HILDA
He went to buy a newspaper.

FULLER
Why don't you sit down, Hilda? Be more comfortable.

HILDA
I'll stand, Mr. Fuller;

FULLER
As you wish. But don't play games with me, Hilda. Mr. Graham didn't just go out to buy a newspaper. He went out to read about Agronsky. He's keenly interested in Agronsky, isn't he?

HILDA
I don't know what he's interested in, Mr. Fuller. I don't even care what he's interested in.

FULLER
So that's the way it's going to be, Hilda—and where did you learn your style, from Agronsky and his friends?

HILDA
I'm very tired, Mr. Fuller. I don't know what you're talking about. I have things to do.

FULLER
And so have I, Hilda. How long have you been with the Grahams?

HILDA
I haven't been with them. I've been working for them two years or so.

FULLER
You like working for them?

HILDA
I don't like working for white folks. I wouldn't even like to work for you, Mr. Fuller.

FULLER
(
containing himself with effort
) No? But I'm an American, Hilda. I shouldn't think you'd want better than to work for Mrs. Graham.

HILDA
Why?

FULLER
She's a Red, isn't she?

(
HILDA
begins to smile.
)

What are you laughing at?

HILDA
You.

(
FULLER
steps forward suddenly and slaps
HILDA
across the face. She doesn't move and the smile doesn't leave her face.
)

FULLER
Get out of here!

(
But
HILDA
doesn't move. She stands there, and now
JANE
speaks from above.
)

JANE
Hilda—who's there?

(
HILDA
stands rigid.
FULLER
turns away from her, drops into a chair and lights a cigarette.
)

HILDA
!

HILDA
(
pulling herself together and going to the foot of the stairs
) It's that gentleman who was here yesterday, Mrs. Graham.

(
JANE
comes down the stairs now. She is wearing a dressing-gown, and her face is drawn and nervous. She comes into the room and stops, facing
FULLER,
who rises to greet her.
)

FULLER
(
graciously
) How do you do, Mrs. Graham. I hope I didn't take too great a liberty to drop in like this.

JANE
You can't really take any liberties, can you, Mr. Fuller? Whatever you do is all right, isn't it, Mr. Fuller?

FULLER
(
diffidently
) I hardly think that's fair.

JANE
Do you always do what's fair, Mr. Fuller?

FULLER
I try to. That's all any of us can say, isn't it?

HILDA
(
with controlled irony
) May I go and finish packing, Mrs. Graham?

FULLER
(
unctuously
) Is your girl leaving, Mrs. Graham?

JANE
(
speaking with almost tortured concentration
) Yes. And she's not a girl. A woman, Mr. Fuller. Look at her. Do you understand—a woman.

(
HILDA
exits.
JANE
walks over to the piano, watching
FULLER,
who drops into a chair again.
)

FULLER
They're all the same, aren't they? The mind of a child and the responsibility of a child.

JANE
I don't think so, Mr. Fuller. I said that before. But you don't listen to what you don't want to hear. You're full of your own questions, aren't you, Mr. Fuller?

FULLER
(
raising his brows
) I see. I almost forgot——

JANE
(
interrupting
) Yes, Mr. Fuller, you forgot about my political views. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.

FULLER
(
a note of anger in his voice
) I don't think I've ever done anything to be ashamed of, Mrs. Graham.

JANE
What a colossal ego. Have you ever done anything to be proud of?

FULLER
(
rising and forcing a smile in return
) I owe you an apology. I'm sorry, Mrs. Graham.

JANE
They train you to be polite, don't they? I've been thinking all day, like in a hotel—European plan, American plan. How do they do it? Do they have a printed set of instructions? Or do they have classes in how to behave before women—different classes of course for white women and for black women.

FULLER
(
with abiding patience
) I shall have to repeat myself, Mrs. Graham. I hardly think that's fair.

JANE
(
taking a few steps toward him
) I'm hardly concerned any more with what you think or what you don't think, Mr. Fuller. Does that hurt your feelings?

FULLER
It doesn't hurt my feelings; Mrs. Graham, because I understand your reactions completely. On the other hand——

(
The bell rings, and
JANE
goes to open the door.
DAVID
enters, carrying a paper, which he opens for
JANE
before he sees
FULLER
.)

DAVID
(
exhibiting the paper, the headlines of which proclaim:
AGRONSKY CALLED AS STAR WITNESS) There it is.

JANE
We have a guest, David.

FULLER
Good evening, Mr. Graham. I took the liberty of dropping in. I felt it was fairly important—important enough for me to do away with formalities.

DAVID
(
halting uncertainly
) How do you do, Mr. Fuller.

FULLER
I suppose you didn't expect to see me so soon.

DAVID
No.

FULLER
At least I come with better tidings than last time.

DAVID
I don't know that it matters a hell of a lot now, Mr. Fuller.

FULLER
(
alert and easy-going
) And that's just where you're wrong, Graham. Your wife was taking me over the coals before you arrived, and I can't say I blame her. She has every right to have it in for me—and so do you. That's what I was trying to explain to her just now, but I must admit——

(
He laughs appreciatively.
)

—she didn't give me half a break. Well, she's a fighter, and I like a fighter, but I can't say I like being cast as a villain.

DAVID
What are you talking about, Mr. Fuller?

FULLER
Couldn't we talk better if we sat down? I've had a hard day, and yours hasn't been a bed of roses. I mean that whole stupid unpleasantness that took place this afternoon. Why don't we all sit down?

JANE
Why don't you say whatever you want to say, Mr. Fuller, instead of beating around the bush?

FULLER
(
sitting down, although
DAVID
and
JANE
remain standing
) Because it's a little more than a word or two, Mrs. Graham.

DAVID
I think I ought to tell you, Mr. Fuller——

FULLER
(
interrupting
) About Carmichael? I know that. I saw Carmichael at six o'clock to-day. I saw Selwin. I saw the chief over at the department. I've spent four hours on the phone, and just let me tell you, Mr. Graham, that phones have been ringing on the Hill as well as elsewhere.

(
He leans lack, stretching out his feet and looking from face to face. He lights a cigarette.
)

That's why I think I deserve to sit down and to talk about this in a civilized, fashion. I think we all deserve it.

(
most earnestly
)

And I just want to put myself on the record for one thing. I consider what happened between you and your chiefs this afternoon a God damned shame, a fine demonstration of stupidity and lack of co-ordination. If anything in this whole business is un-American, it's precisely that kind of an action, trying and condemning a man on hearsay and the flimsiest kind of rumour—I know what you must have felt about me. But now that's straightened out—and I think we'd all do best to forget about it, wouldn't' we?

(
JANE
does not relax; she stands and watches
FULLER
,
but
DAVID
takes a few steps toward him and gingerly sits down, shaking his head uncertainly.
)

DAVID
You mean—there'll be no resignation, no hearing?

FULLER
That's right.

DAVID
(
staring at
FULLER
for a long moment, then turning to his wife. His uncertainty is still with him.
) Did you hear that, Jane?

(
She doesn't react, and he turns hack to
FULLER.
)

I have to get used to that, Mr. Fuller. (
He laughs nervously.
) I was trying to figure out—where do I go from here? Now——

FULLER
I would have felt the same way in your place; Mr. Graham. It's funny, isn't it, how a man like Agronsky, even though you hardly knew him, can become such a determining factor.

DAVID
It is. (
He stands up.
) I think I need a drink. Will you have one, Mr. Fuller?

FULLER
No, thank you.

DAVID
Jane?

(
She shakes her head.
DAVID
goes to the tray and pours himself whiskey and water. He turns back to
FULLER
.)

I guess I'm no hero. You look like Santa Claus to me, Mr. Fuller.

FULLER
(
smiling and shaking his head) I
don't feel quite that joyous, Mr. Graham. It's your good fortune that you can step in and out of a thing like this, but for me, it's a continuing grind. That's one of the facts I impressed on my chief when I had him step into your case. I pointed out to him that if all people were as co-operative as you, he could fire a few of us. At any rate, our work would be a lot easier.

(
He rises and picks up his hat from the piano. Then he halts himself, as if he has just recalled something of no great importance.
)

Oh yes, there's a brief deposition here which I'd like to have you sign before I leave, Mr. Graham.

(
He fumbles a moment in his breast pocket, pulls out an envelope and extracts a folded, legal-sized paper.) 88

DAVID
(
He takes the paper and reads it.
JANE
watches him, remaining where she is. He reads through the paper and then glances up at
FULLER,
who is standing calmly, almost disinterestedly, by the piano.
DAVID
walks over to the piano and sets his drink down. He reads the paper again. When he speaks, the momentary elation is gone from his voice.
) I don't understand this.

FULLER
Why, Mr. Graham? It couldn't be more simply stated, could it?

DAVID
According to this——

(
He stares at the document again, groping for words.
)

Well, it puts me in a funny position, Mr. Fuller. It says here that I know Leonard Agronsky is a member of the Communist Party and that I've seen his party card. It even gives the number of the card here. I haven't seen his party card, Mr. Fuller.

FULLER
(
casually
) What difference does that make, Graham? If the number is there, it means the card exists.

DAVID
But—well, it puts me in a funny position. I don't know that much about Agronsky. I tried to help you with everything I know about him. But I don't know——