Waiting for Godot (7 page)

POZZO
: His hat!

Vladimir seizes Lucky's hat. Silence of Lucky. He falls. Silence. Panting of the victors
.

ESTRAGON
: Avenged!

Vladimir examines the hat, peers inside it
.

POZZO
: Give me that! (
He snatches the hat from Vladimir, throws it on the ground, tramples on it
.) There's an end to his thinking!

VLADIMIR
: But will he be able to walk?

POZZO
: Walk or crawl! (
He kicks Lucky
.) Up pig!

ESTRAGON
: Perhaps he's dead.

VLADIMIR
: You'll kill him.

POZZO
: Up scum! (
He jerks the rope
.) Help me!

VLADIMIR
: How?

POZZO
: Raise him up!

Vladimir and Estragon hoist Lucky to his feet, support him an instant, then let him go. He falls
.

ESTRAGON
: He's doing it on purpose!

POZZO
: You must hold him. (
Pause
.) Come on, come on, raise him up.

ESTRAGON
: To hell with him!

VLADIMIR
: Come on, once more.

ESTRAGON
: What does he take us for?

They raise Lucky, hold him up
.

POZZO
: Don't let him go! (
Vladimir and Estragon totter
.)

Don't move! (
Pozzo fetches bag and basket and brings them towards Lucky
.) Hold him tight! (
He puts the bag in Lucky's hand. Lucky drops it immediately
.) Don't let him go! (
He puts back the bag in Lucky's hand. Gradually, at the feel of the bag, Lucky recovers his senses and his fingers finally close round the handle
.) Hold him tight! (
As before with basket
.) Now! You can let him go.
Vladimir and Estragon move away from Lucky who totters, reels, sags, but succeeds in remaining on his feet, bag and basket in his hands. Pozzo steps back, cracks his whip
.) Forward! (
Lucky totters forward
.) Back! (
Lucky totters back
.) Turn! (
Lucky turns
.) Done it! He can walk. (
Turning to Vladimir and Estragon
.) Thank you, gentlemen, and let me . . . (
he fumbles in his pockets
) . . . let me wish you . . . (
fumbles
) . . . wish you . . . (
fumbles
) . . . what have I done with my watch? (
Fumbles
.) A genuine half-hunter, gentlemen, with deadbeat escapement! (
Sobbing
.) Twas my granpa gave it to me! (
He searches on the ground, Vladimir and Estragon likewise. Pozzo turns over with his foot the remains of Lucky's hat
.) Well now isn't that just—

VLADIMIR
: Perhaps it's in your fob.

POZZO
: Wait! (
He doubles up in an attempt to apply his ear to his stomach, listens. Silence
.) I hear nothing. (
He beckons them to approach. Vladimir and Estragon go over to him, bend over his stomach
.) Surely one should hear the tick-tick.

VLADIMIR
: Silence!

All listen, bent double
.

ESTRAGON
: I hear something.

POZZO
: Where?

VLADIMIR
: It's the heart.

POZZO
: (
disappointed
). Damnation!

VLADIMIR
: Silence!

ESTRAGON
: Perhaps it has stopped.

They straighten up
.

POZZO
: Which of you smells so bad?

ESTRAGON
: He has stinking breath and I have stinking feet.

POZZO
: I must go.

ESTRAGON
: And your half-hunter?

POZZO
: I must have left it at the manor.

Silence
.

ESTRAGON
: Then adieu.

POZZO
: Adieu.

VLADIMIR
: Adieu.

POZZO
: Adieu.

Silence. No one moves
.

VLADIMIR
: Adieu.

POZZO
: Adieu.

ESTRAGON
: Adieu.

Silence
.

POZZO
: And thank you.

VLADIMIR
: Thank
you
.

POZZO
: Not at all.

ESTRAGON
: Yes yes.

POZZO
: No no.

VLADIMIR
: Yes yes.

ESTRAGON
: No no.

Silence
.

POZZO
: I don't seem to be able . . . (
long hesitation
) . . . to depart.

ESTRAGON
: Such is life.

Pozzo turns, moves away from Lucky towards the wings, paying out the rope as he goes
.

VLADIMIR
: You're going the wrong way.

POZZO
: I need a running start. (
Having come to the end of the rope, i.e. off stage, he stops, turns and cries
.) Stand back! (
Vladimir and Estragon stand back, look towards Pozzo. Crack of whip
.) On! On!

ESTRAGON
: On!

VLADIMIR
: On!

Lucky moves off
.

POZZO
: Faster! (
He appears, crosses the stage preceded by

Lucky. Vladimir and Estragon wave their hats. Exit Lucky
.) On! On! (
On the point of disappearing in his turn he stops and turns. The rope tautens. Noise of Lucky falling off
.) Stool! (
Vladimir fetches stool and gives it to Pozzo who throws it to Lucky
.) Adieu!

VLADIMIR
: (
waving
). Adieu! Adieu!

ESTRAGON:

POZZO
: Up! Pig! (
Noise of Lucky getting up
.) On! (
Exit

Pozzo
.) Faster! On! Adieu! Pig! Yip! Adieu!

Long silence
.

VLADIMIR
: That passed the time.

ESTRAGON
: It would have passed in any case.

VLADIMIR
: Yes, but not so rapidly.

Pause
.

ESTRAGON
: What do we do now?

VLADIMIR
: I don't know.

ESTRAGON
: Let's go.

VLADIMIR
: We can't.

ESTRAGON
: Why not?

VLADIMIR
: We're waiting for Godot.

ESTRAGON
: (
despairingly
). Ah!

Pause
.

VLADIMIR
: How they've changed!

ESTRAGON
: Who?

VLADIMIR
: Those two.

ESTRAGON
: That's the idea, let's make a little conversation.

VLADIMIR
: Haven't they?

ESTRAGON
: What?

VLADIMIR
: Changed.

ESTRAGON
: Very likely. They all change. Only we can't.

VLADIMIR
: Likely! It's certain. Didn't you see them?

ESTRAGON
: I suppose I did. But I don't know them.

VLADIMIR
: Yes you do know them.

ESTRAGON
: No I don't know them.

VLADIMIR
: We know them, I tell you. You forget everything.

(
Pause. To himself
.) Unless they're not the same . . .

ESTRAGON
: Why didn't they recognize us then?

VLADIMIR
: That means nothing. I too pretended not to recognize them. And then nobody ever recognizes us.

ESTRAGON
: Forget it. What we need—ow! (
Vladimir does not react
.) Ow!

VLADIMIR
: (
to himself
). Unless they're not the same . . .

ESTRAGON
: Didi! It's the other foot!

He goes hobbling towards the mound
.

VLADIMIR
: Unless they're not the same . . .

BOY
: (
off
). Mister!

Estragon halts. Both look towards the voice
.

ESTRAGON
: Off we go again.

VLADIMIR
: Approach, my child.

Enter Boy, timidly. He halts
.

BOY
: Mister Albert . . . ?

VLADIMIR
: Yes.

ESTRAGON
: What do you want?

VLADIMIR
: Approach!

The Boy does not move
.

ESTRAGON
: (
forcibly
). Approach when you're told, can't you?

The Boy advances timidly, halts
.

VLADIMIR
: What is it?

BOY
: Mr. Godot . . .

VLADIMIR
: Obviously . . . (
Pause
.) Approach.

ESTRAGON
: (
violently
). Will you approach! (
The Boy advances timidly
.) What kept you so late?

VLADIMIR
: You have a message from Mr. Godot?

BOY
: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR
: Well, what is it?

ESTRAGON
: What kept you so late?

The Boy looks at them in turn, not knowing to which he should reply
.

VLADIMIR
: (
to Estragon
). Let him alone.

ESTRAGON
: (
violently
). You let me alone. (
Advancing, to the Boy
.) Do you know what time it is?

BOY
: (
recoiling
). It's not my fault, Sir.

ESTRAGON
: And whose is it? Mine?

BOY
: I was afraid, Sir.

ESTRAGON
: Afraid of what? Of us? (
Pause
.) Answer me!

VLADIMIR
: I know what it is, he was afraid of the others.

ESTRAGON
: How long have you been here?

BOY
: A good while, Sir.

VLADIMIR
: You were afraid of the whip?

BOY
: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR
: The roars?

BOY
: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR
: The two big men.

BOY
: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR
: Do you know them?

BOY
: No Sir.

VLADIMIR
: Are you a native of these parts? (
Silence
.) Do you belong to these parts?

BOY
: Yes Sir.

ESTRAGON
: That's all a pack of lies. (
Shaking the Boy by the arm
.) Tell us the truth!

BOY
: (
trembling
). But it is the truth, Sir!

VLADIMIR
: Will you let him alone! What's the matter with you? (
Estragon releases the Boy, moves away, covering his face with his hands. Vladimir and the Boy observe him. Estragon drops his hands. His face is convulsed
.) What's the matter with you?

ESTRAGON
: I'm unhappy.

VLADIMIR
: Not really! Since when?

ESTRAGON
: I'd forgotten.

VLADIMIR
: Extraordinary the tricks that memory plays!

(
Estragon tries to speak, renounces, limps to his place, sits down and begins to take off his boots. To Boy
.) Well?

BOY
: Mr. Godot—

VLADIMIR
: I've seen you before, haven't I?

BOY
: I don't know, Sir.

VLADIMIR
: You don't know me?

BOY
: No Sir.

VLADIMIR
: It wasn't you came yesterday?

BOY
: No Sir.

VLADIMIR
: This is your first time?

BOY
: Yes Sir.

Silence
.

VLADIMIR
: Words words. (
Pause
.) Speak.

BOY
: (
in a rush
). Mr. Godot told me to tell you he won't come this evening but surely to-morrow.

Silence
.

VLADIMIR
: Is that all?

BOY
: Yes Sir.

Silence
.

VLADIMIR
: You work for Mr. Godot?

BOY
: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR
: What do you do?

BOY
: I mind the goats, Sir.

VLADIMIR
: Is he good to you?

BOY
: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR
: He doesn't beat you?

BOY
: No Sir, not me.

VLADIMIR
: Whom does he beat?

BOY
: He beats my brother, Sir.

VLADIMIR
: Ah, you have a brother?

BOY
: Yes Sir.

VLADIMIR
: What does he do?

BOY
: He minds the sheep, Sir.

VLADIMIR
: And why doesn't he beat you?

BOY
: I don't know, Sir.

VLADIMIR
: He must be fond of you.

BOY
: I don't know, Sir.

Silence
.

VLADIMIR
: Does he give you enough to eat? (
The Boy hesitates
.) Does he feed you well?

BOY
: Fairly well, Sir.

VLADIMIR
: You're not unhappy? (
The Boy hesitates
.) Do you hear me?