Howard Barker: Plays Nine. Howard Barker
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(ENGINE enters discreetly, carrying a small suitcase, which he deposits on the floor.)
Filthy train / Wardrobe / for seven days / and seven nights / when I got down I asked this man for water / you may have water / he said / but only to drink / is water scarce / I asked / no / he said / not scarce /
(She observes BIBLE’s agony.)
Bible / it’s me /
WARDROBE: The Captain does not lie / nor is he cruel / he is instrumental /
SISI: Sisi /
WARDROBE: And in this sense / trustworthy / as a tool is trustworthy /
SISI: SISI / BIBLE /
WARDROBE: At least / until it snaps /
SISI: (Sweetly, to BIBLE.) Sisi /
WARDROBE: And a snapped tool /
BIBLE: I can’t look / Sisi / I can’t look at you /
WARDROBE: I’m not sure we would welcome that /
(BIBLE wails. SISI looks at THRASH, then at WARDROBE, who is gazing at ENGINE. He discovers some remnant of frivolity.)
I know why you are here / or more precisely /
(He claps his hands.)
How are you here /
SISI: Bible / give me a tiny / tiny hug /
(With a sudden shift of his body, BIBLE at last looks at SISI. The effect is to double his misery.)
WARDROBE: The how being / as always with regard to the imperial dispensation / more important than the why / after all /
ENGINE: Mr Wardrobe /
WARDROBE: The substantive / and interrogative / why / by definition /
ENGINE: You may not speak contempt /
WARDROBE: Is an invocation / is it not / to reason? / and reason /
ENGINE: Contempt / Mr Wardrobe /
WARDROBE: Reason we have /
(He plays with his fingers.)
How shall we say? / learned to forego / rather as if / adopting a strenuous diet / one succeeded in persuading oneself that this particular ingredient of one’s intellectual life was / in any case / of limited value in maintaining health / yes /
(He is satisfied with himself.)
Yes / just like that / so / abolishing the why / and concentrating solely on the how /
SISI: Bible has ceased to love me /
WARDROBE: Not at all /
SISI: (Without grief.) He has / he has ceased to love me / possibly because I stink /
BIBLE: Sisi /
WARDROBE: Stinking is of supreme irrelevance / I promise you /
SISI: (Wounded now.) HE’S LOOKING AT ME / WITH SUCH A / SUCH A HORRID LOOK /
BIBLE: (Wretchedly.) Sisi /
SISI: HORRID / HORRID THAT LOOK / AND I CAME TO VISIT YOU /
(WARDROBE shrugs. ENGINE, embarrassed by the atmosphere, turns to go. SISI commands him.)
I’m not staying /
(ENGINE stops, gazing at the floor.)
Silly / possibly / seven days one way / seven days the other /
(She hurtles towards BIBLE.)
WHEN SOMEONE COMES TO VISIT YOU / YOU SHOULD BE NICE /
(BIBLE is pained. SISI’s clenched fist seems to ripple the air. SISI alters, kneels, and strokes the face of BIBLE.)
It’s because you are a poet / isn’t it? / and poets are not like anybody else /
(BIBLE nods earnestly and weeps.)
It’s overwhelming / yes / to see me in a place like this / your heart is / oh / exploding in your chest / quiet / heart / quiet / heart /
(Now she blinks back tears. BIBLE laughs in a pitiful way.)
Heart / lie down / now / turn off the light / and climb into bed /
(They both laugh.)
I’ll tell you a story / little heart /
ENGINE: Ten minutes /
SISI: About another heart / a heart that somehow / we don’t know how / got out of a body / possibly by squeezing itself between the ribs /
(BIBLE laughs childishly.)
ENGINE: Ten / miss /
WARDROBE: (To ENGINE.) She loves him /
ENGINE: Ten /
WARDROBE: (A brief rage.) SHE LOVES HIM /
(He suffocates the sensation. The CAPTAIN merely lifts his gaze.)
Ten / ten minutes / yes /
(ENGINE departs. SISI’s narrative falters. The wind creaks the boards.)
The how was this / and I shall be mortified if this is incorrect / the how was this /
(He walks a little.)
You said / in an unguarded moment / and precisely why the moment was unguarded / we can easily guess / you said you missed us /
(He stops marching.)
You missed my playing / and Bible’s verse / a loving sigh escaped your lips / whereupon / with that inexorable frivolity we grew to dread / the Emperor declared / I see it now / I see his face / or if not his face / the mischievous illumination flickering over it / your nostalgia would be gratified / and instantly / oh / instantly I suspect / your blood ran cold to contemplate this disastrous slip /
SISI: (Anticipating the logic.) I’m visiting / Wardrobe /
WARDROBE: He had no intention / none whatsoever / of recalling us from this hideous place / it was Sisi who had to make the trip /
SISI: (A desperate affirmation.) VISITING / I SAID /
WARDROBE: (Cruelly.) And the duration of the visit / Sisi / what is it? /
(SISI regards WARDROBE fiercely. Then she falters. Her lip trembles. She looks at the floor.)
Sisi / oh / Sisi / if I’m spiteful it’s because you / oh /
(He waves a hand wildly.)
You are so / proud / and vain / and /
(He shakes his head.)
Whoever comes here is obliterated / Sisi / you should have wiped us from your memory / as a skivvy wipes stains from a café table with a stinking cloth /
(SISI shakes her head now. BIBLE climbs off the lap of the OLD WOMAN and goes to her, tentatively laying one hand on her, but unable to lift his eyes to her.)
BIBLE: (To WARDROBE.) You say stinking all the time now / have you noticed that? /
WARDROBE: Yes /
BIBLE: Stinking this / and stinking that /
WARDROBE: I do / I do describe most things as stinking /
BIBLE: There are other words / filthy / for example / you could say / a filthy cloth /
WARDROBE: (Resolutely.) No / the cloth stinks /
BIBLE: But the cloth is hypothetical /
WARDROBE: (Throbbing.) IT STINKS / IT STINKS /
BIBLE: (Equalling his rage.) A HYPOTHESIS CAN’T STINK / WARDROBE /
WARDROBE: (Relapsing.) DID YOU FRIG MY MOTHER? / DID YOU? / DID YOU? / DID YOU FRIG MY MOTHER? /
(SISI seems enchanted by WARDROBE’s swift decay. She claps her hands.)