The Ride Across Lake Constance and Other Plays (8 page)

Read The Ride Across Lake Constance and Other Plays Online

Authors: Peter Handke

Tags: #Fiction, #Literary

 
GEORGE
No. Not that I know.
 
JANNINGS
If you don't know, then you haven't had them.
 
GEORGE
No.
 
JANNINGS
You're disagreeing with me?
 
GEORGE
Yes, that is: no. That is: yes, I agree with you.
 
JANNINGS
In other words, when you mention kidneys flambé, you talk about something you know nothing about.
 
GEORGE
That's what I wanted to say.
 
JANNINGS
And about something one doesn't know, one shouldn't talk, isn't that so?
 
GEORGE
Indeed.
 
(JANNING
makes the appropriate gesture with his hand, turning up his palm in the process. GEORGE stares at it, and under the impression that GEORGE has found something on the palm
JANNINGS
leaves it like that. The hand now looks as
if it is waiting for something; say, for the cigar box. After what has been said just now the hand has the effect of an invitation, so that
GEORGE
bends down and puts the box in
JANNINGS
'
s hand
.
A brief pause, as if
JANNINGS
had expected something else. Then he takes the box with his other hand and puts it on his knee. He looks at his hand, which is still extended
.)
 
JANNINGS
That's not what I meant to say with that. It just seemed to me that you had noticed something on my hand. (
He opens the box top with his other hand and offers the box to GEORGE, who looks inside
.) Take one.
 
(GEORGE
quickly takes a cigar
. JANNINGS
takes one too. GEORGE takes the box from
JANNINGS
and puts it back on the table. Each lights his own cigar. Both lean back and smoke
.)
 
GEORGE
Haven't you noticed anything?
 
JANNINGS
Speak. (
Pause
.) Please, go ahead and speak.
 
GEORGE
Didn't you notice how silly everything suddenly became when we began to talk about kidneys flambé? No, not so much suddenly as gradually, the more often we mentioned the kidneys flambé. Kidneys flambé, kidneys flambé, kidneys flambé! And didn't it strike you why the kidneys flambé gradually made everything so hair-raisingly silly?
 
(
Pause
.)
 
JANNINGS
Speak.
 
GEORGE
Because we spoke about something that wasn't visible at the time. Because we mentioned something that wasn't there at the time! And do you know how I happened to notice this?
 
(
Pause
.)
 
JANNINGS
Speak.
 
GEORGE
When you made that motion with your hand two minutes ago—
JANNINGS
 
(
Interrupts him
.) Two minutes have passed since then?
 
GEORGE
It may also have been earlier. In any case—what was I about to say?
 
JANNINGS
When I made that motion with my hand …
 
GEORGE
When you made that motion with your hand, I suddenly noticed the rings on your fingers and thought to myself: ah, rings! Look at that, rings! Indeed: rings! And then I saw the rings again, and when what I thought and what I saw coincided so magically, I was so happy for a moment that I couldn't help but put the cigar box in your hand. And only then I noticed how ridiculous I had seemed to myself speaking all that time about kidneys flambé! I wasn't even myself any more, my hairs rose on end when I spoke about them. And only when I saw the rings and thought: ah, the rings!
and then cast a
second
glance at the rings, then it seemed to me that I was no longer confused.
 
JANNINGS
And I felt you were handing me the box voluntarily.
 
GEORGE
Do you understand me?
 
JANNINGS
From a human point of view, yes.
 
GEORGE
Take a look around. (
They take a look around the room
.) Car. (
They hesitate a little, continue looking around the room
.) Cattle prod. (
They hesitate, continue looking around the room
.) Bloodhounds. (
They look around the room, hesitate
.) Swollen bellies. (
Only
JANNINGS
looks around the room, hesitates.
) Trigger button.
 
JANNINGS
(
Quickly looks at
GEORGE.) You're right, let's talk about my rings!
 
GEORGE
There's nothing left to say about the rings. (JANNINGS
remains silent
.) It's meaningless.
 
JANNINGS
I?
 
GEORGE
Your rings.
 
JANNINGS
And?
 
GEORGE
(
Irritated
) “And” what?
 
JANNINGS
(
Irritated
) And? (
Pause. The pause becomes increasingly laden with animosity. Both smoke. When they notice that they are simultaneously drawing on their cigars, they stop and hold their breath. When one of them wants to blow out smoke, he notices that the other is just about to exhale and he hesitates; only then does he emit the smoke from his mouth. JANNINGS suddenly, in a very friendly manner
) And if they were
your
rings?
 
GEORGE
 
(
Suddenly looks at him in a very friendly manner
.) But they are
yours!
(
Pause. They hardly move. The pause becomes increasingly laden with animosity
.) But they're
your
rings? (
Suddenly
JANNINGS
pulls the rings from his fingers. GEORGE understands, bends forward, spreading his fingers apart. JANNINGS places the rings on the table. GEORGE slips them easily and as though routinely, almost without looking, on his fingers. He regards his hand
.) As if they were made for me! (
Pause
.) As if they had always belonged to me! (
Pause
.) They
were
made for me! (
Pause
.) And they
have
always belonged to me! (
He holds the rings up to the light so that they sparkle. He caresses them and touches each individually with his lips. He plays: points with the ringless hand at something, then points with the ringed hand at the same thing; places the ringless hand on his heart, then places the ringed hand on it; waves someone toward him with a ringless finger, then with a ringed one; threatens someone with a naked finger, then with a ringed one. He is intoxicated by the idea of ownership
.) I can't even imagine my hand without rings any more! I can't it me—I can't myself—me myself —myself me—I can't myself me—I simply can't imagine myself without rings any more! Can you imagine me without
rings? (JANNINGS
makes no reply
. GEORGE
sets out to make a speech
.) Expensive rings! Just as you, who are round, know no beginning and no end, in the same way—(
He hesitates and begins once more
.) And just as you transform the light that strikes you and are changed yourselves by the light, in the same way—(
He hesitates. Pause
.) In any cause—you elicit similes from me. Since I own you, you mean something to me. (
Pause
.) To wear rings on every finger—what does that mean? Wealth? Early death? To take care while climbing ladders? Job problems? Watch out, danger!?
 
(
Pause
.)
 
JANNINGS
I've never dreamed of rings so far.
GEORGE
Because you never owned any.
 
(
Pause
.)
 
JANNINGS
On the contrary, because I owned some. (
Pause
.) And they never elicit similes from me.
 
GEORGE
Because they weren't enough for you.
 
(
Pause
.)
 
JANNINGS
On the contrary, because they were enough for me.
 
(
Pause
.)
 
GEORGE
Just as …
 
JANNINGS
What do you mean, “Just—as”?
 
GEORGE
Bide your time! (
He begins once more
.) Just as there are born losers, born troublemakers, and born criminals …
 
JANNINGS
Who says they exist?
 
GEORGE
I do!
 
JANNINGS
That doesn't prove anything.
 
(
Pause
.)
 
GEORGE
Have you ever heard people talk about a “born loser”?
 
JANNINGS
Frequently.
 
GEORGE
And have you ever heard the expression “born troublemaker”?
 
JANNINGS
Indeed.
 
GEORGE
 
And the expression “born criminal”?
 
JANNINGS
Of course.
 
GEORGE
But the expression “a scurrying snake”—that you have heard quite frequently?
 
JANNINGS
No, never.
 
GEORGE
And have you ever heard of a “fiery Eskimo”?
 
JANNINGS
Not that I know.
 
GEORGE
 
If you don't know it, then you haven't heard of it either. But the expression “a flying ship”—that you have heard?
 
JANNINGS
At most in a fairy tale.
 
GEORGE
But scurrying snakes exist?
 
JANNINGS
Of course not.
 
GEORGE
But fiery Eskimos—they exist?
 
JANNINGS
I can't imagine it.
 
GEORGE
But flying ships exist?
 
JANNINGS
At most in a dream.
 
GEORGE
Not in reality?
 
JANNINGS
Not in reality.
 
(
Pause
.)
 

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