Read Online Harold Pinter Plays 2 by Harold Pinter - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Harold Pinter
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Don’t I? Well, I live here. I been offered a job here.
ASTON. Yes … well, I don’t think you’re really suitable.
DAVIES. Not suitable? Well, I can tell you, there’s someone here thinks I am suitable. And I’ll tell you. I’m staying on here as caretaker! Get it! Your brother, he’s told me, see, he’s told me the job is mine. Mine! So that’s where I am. I’m going to be his caretaker.
ASTON. My brother?
DAVIES. He’s staying, he’s going to run this place, and I’m staying with him.
ASTON. Look. If I give you … a few bob you can get down to Sidcup.
DAVIES. You build your shed first! A few bob! When I can earn a steady wage here! You build your stinking shed first! That’s what!
ASTON stares at him.
ASTON. That’s not a stinking shed.
Silence.
ASTON moves to him. It’s dean. It’s all good wood. I’ll get it up. No trouble.
DAVIES. Don’t come too near!
ASTON. You’ve no reason to call that shed stinking.
DAVIES points the knife.
You stink.
DAVIES. What!
ASTON. You’ve been stinking the place out.
DAVIES. Christ, you say that to me!
ASTON. For days. That’s one reason I can’t sleep.
DAVIES. You call me that! You call me stinking!
ASTON. You better go.
DAVIES. I’LL STINK YOU!
He thrusts his arm out, the arm trembling, the knife pointing at ASTON ’ S stomach. ASTON does not move. Silence.
DAVIES ’ arm moves no further. They stand.
I’ll stink you.…
Pause.
ASTON . Get your stuff.
DAVIES draws the knife in to his chest, breathing heavily.
ASTON goes to DAVIES ’ bed, collects his bag and puts a few of DAVIES ’ things into it.
DAVIES. You ain’t … you ain’t got the right … Leave that alone, that’s mine!
DAVIES takes the bag and presses the contents down.
All right … I been offered a job here … you wait … (He puts on his smoking-jacket.) .. you wait … your brother … he’ll sort you out … you call me that … you call me that … no one’s ever called me that … (He puts on his overcoat.) You’ll be sorry you called me that .… you ain’t heard the last of this … (He picks up his bag and goes to the door.) You’ll be sorry you called me that.…
He opens the door, ASTON watching him.
Now I know who I can trust.
DAVIES goes out. ASTON stands.
BLACKOUT.
LIGHTS UP. Early evening.
Voices on the stairs.
MICK and DAVIES enter.
DAVIES. Stink! You hear that! Me! I told you what he said, didn’t I? Stink! You hear that? That’s what he said to me!
MICK. Tch, tch, tch.
DAVIES. That’s what he said to me.
MICK. You don’t stink.
DAVIES. No, sir!
MICK. If you stank I’d be the first one to tell you.
DAVIES. I told him, I told him he … I said to him, you ain’t heard the last of this man! I said, don’t you forget your brother. I told him you’d be coming along to sort him out. He don’t know what he’s started, doing that. Doing that to me. I said to him, I said to him, he’ll be along, your brother’ll be along, he’s got sense, not like you—
MICK. What do you mean?
DAVIES. Eh?
MICK. You saying my brother hasn’t got any sense?
DAVIES. What? What I’m saying is, you got ideas for this place, all this … all this decorating, see? I mean, he’s got no right to order me about. I take orders from you, I do my caretaking for you, I mean, you look upon me … you don’t treat me like a lump of dirt … we can both … we can both see him for what he is.
Pause.
MICK. What did he say then, when you told him I’d offered you the job as caretaker?
DAVIES. He … he said … he said … something about… he lived here.
MICK. Yes, he’s got a point, en he?
DAVIES. A point! This is your house, en’t? You let him live here!
MICK. I could tell him to go, I suppose.
DAVIES. That’s what I’m saying.
MICK. Yes. I could tell him to go. I mean, I’m the landlord. On the other hand, he’s the sitting tenant. Giving him notice, you see, what it is, it’s a technical matter, that’s what it is. It depends
ASTON. Yes … well, I don’t think you’re really suitable.
DAVIES. Not suitable? Well, I can tell you, there’s someone here thinks I am suitable. And I’ll tell you. I’m staying on here as caretaker! Get it! Your brother, he’s told me, see, he’s told me the job is mine. Mine! So that’s where I am. I’m going to be his caretaker.
ASTON. My brother?
DAVIES. He’s staying, he’s going to run this place, and I’m staying with him.
ASTON. Look. If I give you … a few bob you can get down to Sidcup.
DAVIES. You build your shed first! A few bob! When I can earn a steady wage here! You build your stinking shed first! That’s what!
ASTON stares at him.
ASTON. That’s not a stinking shed.
Silence.
ASTON moves to him. It’s dean. It’s all good wood. I’ll get it up. No trouble.
DAVIES. Don’t come too near!
ASTON. You’ve no reason to call that shed stinking.
DAVIES points the knife.
You stink.
DAVIES. What!
ASTON. You’ve been stinking the place out.
DAVIES. Christ, you say that to me!
ASTON. For days. That’s one reason I can’t sleep.
DAVIES. You call me that! You call me stinking!
ASTON. You better go.
DAVIES. I’LL STINK YOU!
He thrusts his arm out, the arm trembling, the knife pointing at ASTON ’ S stomach. ASTON does not move. Silence.
DAVIES ’ arm moves no further. They stand.
I’ll stink you.…
Pause.
ASTON . Get your stuff.
DAVIES draws the knife in to his chest, breathing heavily.
ASTON goes to DAVIES ’ bed, collects his bag and puts a few of DAVIES ’ things into it.
DAVIES. You ain’t … you ain’t got the right … Leave that alone, that’s mine!
DAVIES takes the bag and presses the contents down.
All right … I been offered a job here … you wait … (He puts on his smoking-jacket.) .. you wait … your brother … he’ll sort you out … you call me that … you call me that … no one’s ever called me that … (He puts on his overcoat.) You’ll be sorry you called me that .… you ain’t heard the last of this … (He picks up his bag and goes to the door.) You’ll be sorry you called me that.…
He opens the door, ASTON watching him.
Now I know who I can trust.
DAVIES goes out. ASTON stands.
BLACKOUT.
LIGHTS UP. Early evening.
Voices on the stairs.
MICK and DAVIES enter.
DAVIES. Stink! You hear that! Me! I told you what he said, didn’t I? Stink! You hear that? That’s what he said to me!
MICK. Tch, tch, tch.
DAVIES. That’s what he said to me.
MICK. You don’t stink.
DAVIES. No, sir!
MICK. If you stank I’d be the first one to tell you.
DAVIES. I told him, I told him he … I said to him, you ain’t heard the last of this man! I said, don’t you forget your brother. I told him you’d be coming along to sort him out. He don’t know what he’s started, doing that. Doing that to me. I said to him, I said to him, he’ll be along, your brother’ll be along, he’s got sense, not like you—
MICK. What do you mean?
DAVIES. Eh?
MICK. You saying my brother hasn’t got any sense?
DAVIES. What? What I’m saying is, you got ideas for this place, all this … all this decorating, see? I mean, he’s got no right to order me about. I take orders from you, I do my caretaking for you, I mean, you look upon me … you don’t treat me like a lump of dirt … we can both … we can both see him for what he is.
Pause.
MICK. What did he say then, when you told him I’d offered you the job as caretaker?
DAVIES. He … he said … he said … something about… he lived here.
MICK. Yes, he’s got a point, en he?
DAVIES. A point! This is your house, en’t? You let him live here!
MICK. I could tell him to go, I suppose.
DAVIES. That’s what I’m saying.
MICK. Yes. I could tell him to go. I mean, I’m the landlord. On the other hand, he’s the sitting tenant. Giving him notice, you see, what it is, it’s a technical matter, that’s what it is. It depends
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