Horseman, Pass By Scene two

 

ACT ONE

Scene 2

 

PATRICK IS LOUNGING IN HIS ROOM. WE HEAR THE FRONT DOOR OPEN AND CLOSE. WE HEAR FOOTFALLS ON THE STAIRS AND THEN A TAP ON THE DOOR.

PATRICK Entrez, S’il vous plait

BRENDAN ENTERS.

BRENDAN See voo, fucking pley … Aren’t we the educated little bollix

ANNIE (FROM OFF-STAGE) Is that you, Brendan?

BRENDAN Aye

ANNIE There’s a bit of supper down here for you

BRENDAN Aye, alright, Ma … I’ll be down in a minute … You can tell the butler to take the rest of the night off

ANNIE Please yourself, but if you’re not down here soon the butler will put it in the, bloody, bin

BRENDAN Staff these days … What is it, anyway?

PATRICK Stew

BRENDAN Is that more French for yesterday’s left-overs … Is the ‘aul fella down there

PATRICK Oui

BRENDAN Fuck it … I’m sick of fighting with him … If the Brits knew how much trouble he gives me they wouldn’t waste their money paying infiltrators

PATRICK I wouldn’t say they do … Waste it …

BRENDAN At least you can shoot them bastards …

PATRICK Then why don’t you shoot him

BRENDAN Very funny

PATRICK Missus Kelly was ‘round here a bit earlier

BRENDAN Who?

PATRICK Comrade Kelly’s mother … Mother Ireland complaining at the pain of the birth of our new Nation

BRENDAN Bloody great … You break your balls getting recruits and you wind up having to get their Ma’s permission … Was the ‘aul fella here?

PATRICK No

BRENDAN Well, that’s something … How did the Ma take it?

PATRICK Well … in the end you came out of it alright … Missus Kelly overplayed her hand

BRENDAN Oh?

PATRICK Yeah … she slagged me Ma about not having the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus gracing our kitchen

BRENDAN ‘The Sacred Heart’ … The abattoir of Christianity … Didn’t the Ma tell her it’s  because she can’t stand the sight of carnage … Anyway, never mind … missus Kelly’s just going to have to get used to the idea … How’s things going with that Film Making course of yours?

PATRICK What’s my Film Making course got to do with anything?

BRENDAN Just wondering how it was coming along …

PATRICK I thought all you cared about was how ‘the revolution’ was coming along … Or is that what the question is really about

BRENDAN Sharp little bollix, aren’t you … Yeah, my interest in your Film work is connected … Is there something wrong with that … Like, me being politically active, does that make my interest sinister?

PATRICK Let’s face it Brendan, you are a sinister bastard, aren’t you?

BRENDAN You’ve been reading my press reviews, haven’t you?

PATRICK And you’d like me to make stuff that counteracts that, is that the idea?

BRENDAN And what’s wrong with that … Isn’t Ulster Television sponsoring that rostrum camera course you doing

PATRICK So what?

BRENDAN \And the main feature of it is that the top two students get a two year contract working for them

PATRICK Yeah

BRENDAN Where a big part of your job will be to point out what a sinister bastard I am

PATRICK Yeah, Brendan … but it’s not scripted … The camera can only cover what’s done … If you don’t do it, we can’t show it, can we?

BRENDAN Very true … But what about the status quo in this wee Statelet of ours … You know, where nearly half the population were treated as being not deserving of basic political or human rights since it’s inception … That was done … As was holding men in prison for fourteen years without trail … None of that was shown, was it … But I go down and blow the shit out of a police station where men were kicked to death … they’ll show that … The explosion … I’d just like to see what you’d call a ‘tight shot’ on some of the blood-spattered rubble and someone to point out that not all the blood was from the heroic officers who manned it … That most of it was from their victims … That’s where my question comes from

PATRICK You should go up and tell missus Kelly all that …

BRENDAN That’s different ..,,

PATRICK Oh, I see … Bobby’s cannon fodder

BRENDAN You know something, Patrick … there are times when you are the most insufferable, little, fucking, prig imaginable … One thing you know damn well is that I’m no arm-chair general  … I’ll tell you something else I’m not … and that’s an arm-chair pacifist … You know, all those folks who are ever-so concerned about the fodder but who don’t seem to give a damn about the cannon blowing the living shit outt’a the fodder … That’s the trouble with you liberals … you live in a world full of chickens and no eggs

PATRICK Keep your shirt on, Brendan … It’s this simple … all I want to do is make a decent life for myself … An interesting one, even … Maybe Bobby Kelly should do the same …

BRENDAN Patrick, that little niche you’re aiming yourself at doesn’t have room for Bobby Kelly …

PATRICK I don’t see why …

BRENDAN Of course you don’t … The target you’re aimed at is so small the only way you’ll make it is to focus … And you’re good at that

PATRICK I’ll take that as a compliment

BRENDAN Well, it’s not really meant as one … The sort of focus you need to do what you want involves the use of an enormous set of blinkers

PATRICK And Bobby Kelly?

BRENDAN Bobby Kelly is just trying to pull himself out of the shit … and there’s tens of thousands of him … You, on the other hand, are just trying to get up onto the top of the pile … The fact that the pile is a pile of shit doesn’t bother you …

PATRICK I didn’t make it

BRENDAN Neither did Bobby Kelly

WE HEAR THE FRONT DOOR OPEN AND CLOSE AND THEN FOOTFALLS ON THE STAIRS. THEN ANNIE ENTERS.

ANNIE Well, the coast is clear … so you can go down for your supper

BRENDAN What do you mean … “the coast is clear”?

ANNIE You know rightly what I mean … Your Da’s gone down to Maguires for a pint

ANNIE Are you suggesting I’m avoiding him?

ANNIE Of course I’m not … Wouldn’t dream of it

BRENDAN Aye, well … sure he’d turn your head the way he goes on

ANNIE God, would you look who’s talking … I hope you’re not working on Patrick

BRENDAN Ma, if he was on the same planet I might try

ANNIE Did he tell you about the visitor I had today?

PATRICK Keep me out of this

BRENDAN It’ll have to keep, Ma  … I should have been in Andersonstown half an hour ago … I’ll see you later

ANNIE Who do you think you’re kidding … If you had to be in Andersonstown half an hour ago you wouldn’t be here now … And, Brendan … some day you’ll walk out that door and I won’t see you later … except maybe on television lying dead under a blanket on some Godforsaken street

BRENDAN Aw, c’mon Ma … if I can survive your stew I can survive anything

(HE EXITS QUICKLY)

ANNIE Brendan … Brendan

BRENDAN (Off-stage) Adios, Ma …

ANNIE That fella is going to be the death of me …

 

END OF SCENE