Howard Barker: Plays Nine. Howard Barker

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СКАЧАТЬ man / and some found this peculiar / I’m dying / they would say / and it’s nothing / is it? / nothing to you? /

      (WARDROBE turns the photograph.)

      No /

      (The floorboards creak in the wind.)

      No /

      (WARDROBE studies SISI.)

      No / it isn’t /

      (The wind, the boards.)

      On the frontier / you don’t need exaggeration /

      (She looks down at BIBLE, who is frowning.)

      I don’t say live / but you are half the weight you were / you two /

      (WARDROBE lets fall his arm, whilst his hand remains clutching the photograph. He gazes at the ceiling. He states his article of horror but in a different and milder tone.)

      WARDROBE: Did you frig my mother? / did you? / did you? / did you frig my mother? /

      (No one reacts to this. He is pensive. After a while he plays with the remainder of the words.)

      Your fingers shone / your shining fingers / he says /

      (He frowns. He articulates with intense concentration.)

      you / frigged / my / mother /

      (WARDROBE seems to contemplate the words as if they were engraved on the ceiling.)

      Frigged /

      (He weighs the syllable.)

      Frigged /

      BIBLE: (Helpfully.) It’s the juxtaposition / it’s not really the idea /

      WARDROBE: Yes /

      BIBLE: The quality of the first word / and the entirely different quality of the second /

      WARDROBE: I think so / yes /

      BIBLE: The first being / possibly / I don’t know / onomatopoeic / and consequently / as is usually the case with onomatopoeia / vulgar / and the second / the second being / both soft-syllabled / but / more importantly / endowed with cultural and sentimental / associations which /

      WARDROBE: Yes /

      BIBLE: Which render it / somehow / sacred / yes / that is not I think / to overstate the /

      WARDROBE: Not at all /

      BIBLE: The significance of mother / as a noun / as a concept /

      WARDROBE: Quite / quite /

      BIBLE: So / to place these two words /

      WARDROBE: These two ideas /

      BIBLE: These two ideas / yes / in such proximity / it’s no wonder you / in a frisson of disgust / require to / somehow / abolish the pain of having heard it by incessant repetition / I myself /

      WARDROBE: You say it /

      BIBLE: Can hardly bear to hear it / whereas /

      WARDROBE: You say it / Bible /

      BIBLE: The idea itself / yes / yes / I’m certain of it / the idea is less appalling than the language used to describe it /

      (He is bemused by his meditation.)

      That’s interesting / very interesting /

      WARDROBE: Say it / Bible / say it / please /

      BIBLE: Say /

      WARDROBE: Say it / say this thing that / I am not unaware of this / profoundly irritates your nerves /

      (The wind creaks the floorboards. BIBLE’s reluctance becomes evident.)

      Bible? / would you / please? /

      BIBLE: I think / I think the reason you are asking me to say these words is less to do with / whatever it appears to be to do with / than coercing me to /

      (He frowns with his concentration.)

      I don’t want to say the words /

      (WARDROBE gazes at the ceiling.)

      I can say the words / I can say them / though the thought of actually saying them / as opposed to hearing them / is rather worse than I anticipated / still I /

      (BIBLE falters and is silent.)

      WARDROBE: You can’t / can you? / you cannot say the words? /

      BIBLE: I can / I can but I decline your invitation to do so /

      (The wind, for a long time.)

      WARDROBE: (Without chagrin.) All right /

      (The three are motionless as the wind blows litter through the room, and leaves scrape the floor. BIBLE’s discomfort is greater than his triumph.)

      THRASH: Peculiar / hearing you / the volume of exaggeration /

      WARDROBE: I do not / I promise you / exaggerate in the slightest degree / when I say you stink / you do stink / it is possible / however / and in this respect I admit the possibility of overstatement / the offence of stinking in a place like this is lessened / abolished even / by the fact I stink myself / perhaps in saying you stink/ I am merely remarking on a circumstance / there’s no criticism intended /

      (THRASH does not respond for a long time. BIBLE stares into space.)

      THRASH: Me and the Captain / we don’t exaggerate /

      (WARDROBE gazes at her back without replying.)

      Do we? / when did you ever hear the Captain exaggerate? /

      (WARDROBE shifts violently onto his back. He clasps his hands over his chest.)

      I don’t say live / but if you want to live / it’s possible / without exaggeration /

      (WARDROBE ponders this advice as THRASH, with a certain resignation, undoes her garment, exposing her breast for BIBLE, who suckles her.)

      WARDROBE: Yes /

      (He frowns. He twists uncomfortably.)

      Yes /

      (He struggles with a thought.)

      But it’s culture / isn’t it? / exaggeration? /

      (THRASH makes no reply to this. BIBLE makes infantile sounds of gratification. In a spasm of mental agony WARDROBE sits up violently and reiterates his article.)

      DID YOU FRIG MY MOTHER? / DID YOU? / DID YOU? / DID YOU FRIG MY MOTHER? / YOUR FINGERS SHONE / YOUR SHINING FINGERS / HE SAYS YOU FRIGGED MY MOTHER /

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