Shipwreck (6 page)

BAKUNIN
   (
excitedly
) Forget about the French. Polish independence is the only revolutionary spark in Europe. I've been here six years and I know what I'm talking about. I'm in the market for a hundred rifles, by the way, payment in cash.

Sazonov shushes him urgently. The Servant has entered. He whispers to Bakunin.

BAKUNIN
   (
cont.
) My cabbie wants to go home. Can you lend me five francs?

HERZEN
   No. You should have walked.

TURGENEV
   I'll do it.

Turgenev gives five francs to the Servant, who leaves.

BELINSKY
   Isn't it time to go?

SAZONOV
   (
to Belinsky
) It's a shame. With your abilities, you could have done more, instead of wasting your time in Russia.

HERZEN
   (
to Sazonov
) And do tell us, what have
you
done? You don't think discussing the borders of Poland with the émigrés every day in the Café Lamblin is doing something?—

SAZONOV
   Hold on, hold on, you forget our situation.

HERZEN
   What situation? You've lived in freedom all these years, playing statesmen-in-waiting and calling yourselves pink budgerigars—

SAZONOV
   (
furiously
) Who told you about the—

HERZEN
   You did.

SAZONOV
   (
bursting into tears
) I knew I wasn't to be trusted!

EMMA
   
Parlez français, s'il vous plaît!

BAKUNIN
   (
comforting Sazonov with a hug
) I trust you.

NATALIE
   Is George all right?

HERZEN
   I never saw a man more all right.

Natalie goes to George and Emma.

BAKUNIN
   (
to Herzen
) Don't be deceived by George Herwegh. He got expelled from Saxony for political activity.

HERZEN
   Activity? George?

BAKUNIN
   And he's got what every revolutionary needs, a rich wife.

HERZEN
   Nick Ogarev knew him when they were together in Paris … Nick gave me a letter …

BAKUNIN
   What's more, she'll do anything for him. I once heard Marx explaining economic relations to George for an hour while Emma rubbed his feet.

HERZEN
   Why?

BAKUNIN
   He said his feet were cold … other parts of him, it seems, are kept warm by the Contesse d'Agoult.

NATALIE
   (
to Emma
)
Continuez, continuez
…

HERZEN
   (
offended
) I won't have tittle-tattle about my friends in my house … and anyway, you don't know it's true.

BAKUNIN
   (
laughs
) You're right—maybe he's only boasting.

Emma continues to smooth George's brow.

NATALIE
   (
arriving
) Ah, that's what love should be!

BAKUNIN
   Love is a mystery, and woman's privilege is to be the priestess of the mystery, vestal of the sacred flame.

HERZEN
   Am I being reproached because I don't let you mother me?

NATALIE
   I don't reproach you, Alexander, I only say it's a fine thing to see.

HERZEN
   What is? George having the vapours?

NATALIE
   No … a woman's love that transcends egoism.

HERZEN
   Love without egoism cheats women of equality and independence, not to mention any other … satisfaction.

BAKUNIN
   He's right, madame!

HERZEN
   But you just said the opposite!

BAKUNIN
   (
unabashed
) He's right again!

GEORGE
   (
in German
) Emma, Emma …

EMMA
   
Was ist denn, mein Herz?
[What is it, my precious?]

GEORGE
   
Weiss ich nicht … Warum machst du nicht weiter?
[I don't know … Why have you stopped?]

Emma resumes stroking his brow.

NATALIE
   (
privately to Herzen
) You're being unkind.

HERZEN
   I like George, but I'd feel ridiculous.

NATALIE
   (
angrily
) Idealised love doesn't mean a lack of … or perhaps you think it does?

HERZEN
   What's this?

NATALIE
   It's despicable to imply George doesn't … satisfy a woman …

HERZEN
   (
stung
) I'm sure he does—I'm told she's a countess.

NATALIE
   I see. Well, if it's only a countess …

She leaves the room abruptly, leaving Herzen baffled. Belinsky is now on his knees on the floor, puzzling over some small flat wooden shapes, one of the toys. Bakunin loudly calls for attention.

BAKUNIN
   My friends! Comrades! I give you a toast! The liberty of each, for the equality of all!

There is a mild, dutiful attempt to repeat the toast.

HERZEN
   What does that mean? It doesn't mean anything.

BAKUNIN
   I am not free unless you, too, are free!

HERZEN
   That's nonsense. You were free when I was locked up.

BAKUNIN
   Freedom is a state of mind.

HERZEN
   No, it's a state of not being locked up … of having a passport … I am devoted to you, Bakunin, I delight in the fanfare, no, the funfair of your pronouncements, I would name my child for you, but equally I would name you for my child, because everything which is simple you make difficult and everything difficult simple. You've made yourself a European reputation by a kind of revolutionary word-music from which it is impossible to extract an ounce of meaning, let alone a political idea, let alone a course of action. What freedom means is being allowed to sing in my bath as loudly as will not interfere with my neighbour's freedom to sing a different tune in his. But above all, let my neighbour and I be free to join or not to join the revolutionary opera, the state orchestra, the Committee of Public Harmony …

TURGENEV
   This is a metaphor, is it?

HERZEN
   Not necessarily.

SAZONOV
   An orchestra is a very good metaphor. There is no contradiction between individual freedom and duty to the collective—

HERZEN
   I'd like to be there when they play.

SAZONOV
   —because being in the orchestra is the individual right.

HERZEN
   We all missed it, Plato, Rousseau, Saint-Simon, me …

BAKUNIN
   The mistake is to put ideas before action. Act first! The ideas will follow, and if not—well, it's progress.

HERZEN
   Belinsky—save me from this madness!

BELINSKY
   I can't fit the pieces together to make a square—it's a children's puzzle, and I can't do it …

TURGENEV
   Perhaps it's a circle.

Natalie enters and hurries to Herzen, making it up with him.

NATALIE
   Alexander …?

Herzen embraces her.

GEORGE
   
Mir geht es besser.
[I feel better.]

BELINSKY
   Turgenev's got a point …

EMMA
   
Georg geht es besser!
[George is feeling better!]

The dialogues which follow are written to be ‘wasted'. They are spoken on top of each other, to make a continuum of word-noise.

BELINSKY
   Our problem is feudalism and serfdom. What have these Western models got to do with us? We're so big and backward!

TURGENEV
   (
to Belinsky
) My mother's estate is ten times the size of Fourier's model society.

BELINSKY
   I'm sick of Utopias. I'm tired of hearing about them.

Simultaneously with the above dialogue:

BAKUNIN
   The Poles should go in with the Slavs. Nationalism is the only movement that's reached a revolutionary stage. A rising of all the Slav nations! Let me finish! Three necessary conditions—break up the Austrian Empire—politicise the peasants—organise the working class!

SAZONOV
   (
talking over Bakunin
) Some of the Poles think you're a Tsarist agent. The French despise the Germans, the Germans distrust the French, the Austrians can't agree with the Italians, the Italians can't agree among themselves … but everybody hates the Russians.

Simultaneously with the above, the Servant enters to talk to Herzen.

HERZEN
   (
to George) Du riechst wie eine ganze Parfumerie.
[You smell like a perfume shop.]

GEORGE
   
Wir haben der Welt Eau de Cologne und Goethe geschenkt.
[Eau de cologne and Goethe, we gave to the world.]

SERVANT
   (
to Herzen) Il y a deux messieurs en bas, Monsieur le Baron, qui retiennent deux fiacres.
[There's two gentlemen downstairs, Baron, keeping on two cabs.]

HERZEN
   
Allez les aider à descendre leurs baggages.
[Please help with the luggage.]

SERVANT
   
Hélas, c'est mon moment de repos
—
c'est l'heure du café.
[It's my time to go to the café, alas.]

HERZEN
   
Bien. C'est entendu.
[Of course. I quite understand.]

SERVANT
   
Merci, Monsieur le Baron.
[Thank you, Baron.]

The Servant leaves.

NATALIE
   (
talking over the above
) And Heine!

EMMA
   
Und Herwegh!

NATALIE
   Yes! Yes!

EMMA
   
Du bist so bescheiden und grosszuegig. Schreibst du bald ein neues Gedicht?
[You're so modest and generous. Are you going to write a new poem soon?]

GEORGE
   
Ich hasse solche Fragen!
[I hate you asking me that!]

EMMA
   
Verzeihg mir
—
sonst weine ich.
[Forgive me—don't make me cry!]

Kolya enters in search of his top. All the conversations cut off into silence simultaneously, but ‘continue.'

Turgenev and Belinsky are finally interrupted by Herzen (see reprise at end of Act One), signalling a general break-up and exodus, still ‘silent.'

Turgenev and Sazonov help Belinsky with his valise and parcels.

Kolya is left alone.

There is distant thunder, which Kolya doesn't hear. Then there is a roll of thunder nearer. Kolya looks around, aware of something.

There is the growing sound of a roaring multitude, of rifle fire, shouting, singing, drumming … and a female voice, representing the famous actress Rachel, singing ‘The Marseillaise.'

Red banners and the Tricolour.

Natalie enters, picks up Kolya and takes him out.

[The monarchy of Louis Philippe fell on 24 February 1848.]

M
ARCH
1848

Exterior
(
Place de la Concorde
).

[
Herzen's memoirs: These were the happiest days of Bakunin's life
.]

Bakunin flourishes a huge red banner on a pole. He has just encountered
KARL MARX,
aged thirty. Marx is carrying a yellow-wrapped book
, The Communist Manifesto.
Turgenev is gazing around in astonishment. A pigeon evidently excretes onto his head. He reacts.

BAKUNIN
   Marx! Who'd have thought it?!