Catastrophe Practice (6 page)

When she comes to where she is close to Jason and Ariel, she speaks to Helena
.

She waits. The others do not move
.

I did so enjoy it. Especially the Chinese lanterns.

She puts a foot up on the balustrade as if to climb over. She seems to wait for someone to help her
.

I do hope you don't mind. I spent the night in your little room.

She looks up at Ackerman
.

After a time, Jason puts out a hand to help her over. As she takes his hand, and steps over the balustrade, she puts out a hand and strokes Ariel's cheek Ariel jerks his head away
.

Judith looks at Jenny
.

Helena watches the audience
.

After a time Jason says awkwardly —

He waits
.

— Wife? Mistress? Mother?

Then he turns to Ackerman, and holds out a hand as if about to introduce Judith to him. Then he seems to get an electric shock from the wire that he is holding. He drops it. He looks where the wire goes down over the back of the balustrade. Then he looks up at the flies
.

Judith goes and stands underneath Ackerman, looking at him
.

Ariel goes and looks down at the crack in the rocks
.

Jenny has straightened. She watches Jason
.

Jenny murmurs —

After a time, Ackerman takes off his gas-mask. He is red in the face and sweating
.

Jason is looking up at the flies
.

Jenny moves quickly and puts a hand on Jason's arm
.

Helena turns to Judith
.

Judith is looking up at Ackerman
.

She turns with her back to Ackerman, and looks at Jenny and Jason
.

Ackerman makes a lunge over the balcony and takes hold of Judith violently by the hair. Judith opens her mouth as if to scream
.

Jason looks down at the crack in the rocks
.

The CURTAIN comes down

The CURTAIN rises as if unexpectedly before the lights in the auditorium have gone out Judith is on the garden chair, left of centre, with Jason bending over as if he has been embracing her. Jason straightens: he looks at the wings, right. The lights in the auditorium go out
.

The SCENE is the same, but as if at night. The backdrop is a dark blue: the surface of the rock is silver. The loggia is hung with coloured lights. The swing sofa has gone. The wire still trails from the crack in the rocks to the balustrade at the back
.

Judith lies back in the chair with her eyes closed
.

Jason walks up and down. It is as if he is lecturing
.

He stops by the wings, left, looking out
.

The rewards were — pain, deprivation.

They knew where they were. I am alive: you are dead. Mummy. Mummy.

He moves on
.

We found happiness, if it was to be held, was against a blue background — a mother and child, a tree, a woman on the bed. But with enough room — this was the point — for a man to stand back and then move on — was this the point? — within his hands,
his head. I have gone now, Mummy, Mummy. You are on the bed.

He comes and stands by Judith, looking down
.

The problem was, to get people at the right place at the right time. So that when there was the crack in the rocks, the avalanche — ah, was that what it was! some would say, standing back; and then move on, their hands within their heads. And some, when the rocks came down, the avalanche —

He looks at the audience
.

— the fighting in the streets: the people in the valley —

Judith speaks without opening her eyes
.

He moves on
.

Jason appears to be thinking
.

After a time —

He stops; staring at the loggia
.

After a time, he moves on
.

In the silence, Jason and Judith glance at the audience as if they might observe what people in the audience might be making of what they are saying as if they are still carrying out an experiment
.

Judith sits up and arranges her skirt
.

Jason goes to the balustrade at the back and looks over
.

Jason turns to her
.

They wait. They seem to be listening
.

Jason moves round the stage again He acts —

Jason stands by the wings, left, looking out
.

Jason seems to think. He looks at the audience
.

Then he walks up and down again as if lecturing
.

He stops, faces the audience, and holds out his
left hand

— left of the brain, that is —

He rotates clockwise so that his back is to the audience. He lowers his left hand and holds out his right
.

— but this works the right, so there's no contradiction.

He lowers his right hand. He looks at Judith
.

The right side doesn't speak much: knows what things are for —

He turns clockwise so that he is facing the audience again
.

— but this works the left, so that if you're watching, which you are —

He holds out his right hand; then his left
.

Then he stares down as if fascinated or bewildered by the two of them side by side
.

After a time —

Jason looks at the audience. Then he puts out his hand against the vertical plane above the footlights as if he were feeling there a glass partition or a screen
.

Ackerman comes on from behind the loggia. He wears an old overcoat over trousers and slippers. He seems to wear no make-up. He appears old. He looks at Jason. Then he walks along the balustrade at the back
.

He turns and watches Jason
.

Jason is still looking at the area above the footlights as if it might be a screen containing switches and dials
.

Ackerman comes to the front of the stage and looks at the audience. He seems to act; Jason seems to be not acting
.

Ackerman and Jason stare at the footlights. It is as if they were watching the vertical screen above the footlights containing dials
.

Ackerman and Jason wait They watch the audience
.

After a time Judith speaks with her eyes closed
.

Jason speaks as if his sentence were the first line of a song —

They stare at the audience
.

After a time Jason looks down over the footlights
.

They wait
.

Ackerman moves away. He stands by the loggia looking up. He declaims —