Brian Friel Plays 1 (60 page)

OWEN:
Indeed – and the younger man that I travelled with from Dublin, his name is Lieutenant Yolland and he is attached to the toponymic department – Father? –
responde – responde
!

HUGH:
He gives names to places.

OWEN:
Indeed – although he is in fact an orthographer – Doalty? – too slow – Manus?

MANUS:
The correct spelling of those names.

OWEN:
Indeed – indeed!

(
OWEN
laughs
and
claps
his
hands.
Some
of
the
others
join
in.
)

Beautiful! Beautiful! Honest to God, it’s such a delight to be back here with you all again – ‘civilized’ people. Anyhow – may I bring them in?

HUGH:
Your friends are our friends.

OWEN:
I’ll be straight back.

There
is
general
talk
as
OWEN
goes
towards
the
door.
He
stops
beside
SARAH
.)

OWEN:
That’s a new face. Who are you?

(
A
very
brief
hesitation.
Then
:
–
)

SARAH:
My name is Sarah.

OWEN:
Sarah who?

SARAH:
Sarah Johnny Sally.

OWEN:
Of course! From Bun na hAbhann! I’m Owen – Owen Hugh Mor. From Baile Beag. Good to see you.

(
During
this
OWEN
–
SARAH
exchange.
)

HUGH:
Come on now. Let’s tidy this place up. (
He
rubs
the
top
of
his
table
with
his
sleeve.
)
Move, Doalty – lift those books off the floor.

DOALTY:
Right, Master; certainly, Master; I’m doing my best, Master.

(
OWEN
stops
at
the
door.
)

OWEN:
One small thing, Father.

HUGH:
Silentium!

OWEN:
I’m on their pay-roll.

(
SARAH
,
very
elated
at
her
success,
is
beside
MANUS
.)

SARAH:
I said it, Manus!

(
MANUS
ignores
SARAH
.
He
is
much
more
interested
in
OWEN
now.
)

MANUS:
You haven’t enlisted, have you?!

(
SARAH
moves
away.
)

OWEN:
Me a soldier? I’m employed as a part-time, underpaid, civilian interpreter. My job is to translate the quaint, archaic tongue you people persist in speaking into the King’s good English.

(
He
goes
out.
)

HUGH:
Move – move – move! Put some order on things! Come on, Sarah – hide that bucket. Whose are these slates? Somebody take these dishes away.
Festinate!
Festinate!

(
MANUS
goes
to
MAIRE
who
is
busy
tidying.
)

MANUS:
You didn’t tell me you were definitely leaving.

MAIRE:
Not now.

HUGH:
Good girl, Bridget. That’s the style.

MANUS:
You might at least have told me.

HUGH:
Are these your books, James?

JIMMY:
Thank you.

MANUS:
Fine! Fine! Go ahead! Go ahead!

MAIRE:
You talk to me about getting married – with neither a roof over your head nor a sod of ground under your foot. I suggest you go for the new school; but no – ‘My father’s in for that.’ Well now he’s got it and now this is finished and now you’ve nothing.

MANUS:
I can always …

MAIRE:
What? Teach classics to the cows? Agh –

(
MAIRE
moves
away
from
MANUS
.
OWEN
enters
with
LANCEY
and
YOLLAND
.
CAPTAIN
LANCEY
is
middle-aged;
a
small,
crisp
officer,
expert
in
his
field
as
cartographer
but
uneasy
with
people – especially
civilians,
especially
these
foreign
civilians.
His
skill
is
with
deeds,
not
words.
LIEUTENANT
YOLLAND
is
in
his
late
twenties/early
thirties.
He
is
tall
and
thin
and
gangling,
blond
hair,
a
shy,
awkward
manner.
A
soldier
by
accident.
)

OWEN:
Here we are. Captain Lancey – my father.

LANCEY:
Good evening.

(
HUGH
becomes
expansive,
almost
courtly,
with
his
visitors.
)

HUGH:
You and I have already met, sir.

LANCEY:
Yes.

OWEN:
And Lieutenant Yolland – both Royal Engineers – my father.

HUGH:
You’re very welcome, gentlemen.

YOLLAND:
How do you do.

HUGH:
Gaudeo
vos
hic
adesse.

OWEN:
And I’ll make no other introductions except that these are some of the people of Baile Beag and – what? – well you’re among the best people in Ireland now. (
He
pauses
to
allow
LANCEY
to
speak.
LANCEY
does
not.
)
Would you like to say a few words, Captain?

HUGH:
What about a drop, sir?

LANCEY:
A what?

HUGH:
Perhaps a modest refreshment? A little sampling of our
aqua
vitae
?

LANCEY:
No, no.

HUGH:
Later perhaps when –

LANCEY:
I’ll say what I have to say, if I may, and as briefly as possible. Do they speak
any
English, Roland?

OWEN:
Don’t worry. I’ll translate.

LANCEY:
I see. (
He
clears
his
throat.
He
speaks
as
if
he
were
addressing
children – a
shade
too
loudly
and
enunciating
excessively.
)
You may have seen me – seen me – working in this section – section? – working. We are here – here – in this place – you understand? – to make a map – a map – a map and –

JIMMY:
Nonne
Latine
loquitur?

(
HUGH
holds
up
a
restraining
hand.
)

HUGH:
James.

LANCEY:
(
To
JIMMY
) I do not speak Gaelic, sir.

(
He
looks
at
OWEN
.)

OWEN:
Carry on.

LANCEY:
A map is a representation on paper – a picture – you understand picture? – a paper picture – showing, representing this country – yes? – showing your country in
miniature – a scaled drawing on paper of – of – of –

(
Suddenly
DOALTY
sniggers.
Then
BRIDGET
.
Then
SARAH
.
OWEN
leaps
in
quickly.
)

OWEN:
It might be better if you
assume
they understand you –

LANCEY:
Yes?

OWEN:
And I’ll translate as you go along.

LANCEY:
I see. Yes. Very well. Perhaps you’re right. Well. What we are doing is this. (
He
looks
at
OWEN
.
OWEN
nods
reassuringly.
)
His Majesty’s government has ordered the first ever comprehensive survey of this entire country – a general triangulation which will embrace detailed hydrographic and topographic information and which will be executed to a scale of six inches to the English mile.

HUGH:
(
Pouring
a
drink
)
Excellent – excellent.

(
LANCEY
looks
at
OWEN
.)

OWEN:
A new map is being made of the whole country.

(
LANCEY
looks
to
OWEN:
Is
that
all?
OWEN
smiles
reassuringly
and
indicates
to
proceed.
)

LANCEY:
This enormous task has been embarked on so that the military authorities will be equipped with up-to-date and accurate information on every corner of this part of the Empire.

OWEN:
The job is being done by soldiers because they are skilled in this work.

LANCEY:
And also so that the entire basis of land valuation can be reassessed for purposes of more equitable taxation.

OWEN:
This new map will take the place of the estate agent’s map so that from now on you will know exactly what is yours in law.

LANCEY:
In conclusion I wish to quote two brief extracts from the white paper which is our governing charter: (
Reads
) ‘All former surveys of Ireland originated in forfeiture and violent transfer of property; the present survey has for its object the relief which can be afforded to the proprietors and occupiers of land from unequal taxation.’

OWEN:
The captain hopes that the public will cooperate with the sappers and that the new map will mean that taxes are reduced.

HUGH:
A worthy enterprise –
opus
honestum
!
And Extract B?

LANCEY:
‘Ireland is privileged. No such survey is being undertaken in England. So this survey cannot but be received as proof of the disposition of this government to advance the interests of Ireland.’ My sentiments, too.

OWEN:
This survey demonstrates the government’s interest in Ireland and the captain thanks you for listening so attentively to him.

HUGH:
Our pleasure, Captain.

LANCEY:
Lieutenant Yolland?

YOLLAND:
I – I – I’ve nothing to say – really –

OWEN:
The captain is the man who actually makes the new map. George’s task is to see that the place-names on this map are … correct. (
To
YOLLAND
.) Just a few words – they’d like to hear you. (
To
class.
)
Don’t you want to hear George, too?

MAIRE:
Has he anything to say?

YOLLAND:
(
To
MAIRE
) Sorry – sorry?

OWEN:
She says she’s dying to hear you.

YOLLAND:
(
To
MAIRE
) Very kind of you – thank you … (
To
class
)
I can only say that I feel – I feel very foolish to – to – to be working here and not to speak your language. But I intend to rectify that – with Roland’s help – indeed I do.

OWEN:
He wants me to teach him Irish!

HUGH:
You are doubly welcome, sir.

YOLLAND:
I think your countryside is – is – is – is very beautiful. I’ve fallen in love with it already. I hope we’re not too – too crude an intrusion on your lives. And I know that I’m going to be happy, very happy, here.

OWEN:
He is already a committed Hibernophile –

JIMMY:
He loves –

OWEN:
All right, Jimmy – we know – he loves Baile Beag; and he loves you all.

HUGH:
Please … May I…?

(
HUGH
is
now
drunk.
He
holds
on
to
the
edge
of
the
table.
)