Playing With Fire: part 3
Perhaps Oscar Wilde was right. Perhaps it is a misfortune to have one's dreams come true...
JUSTINA STARES INTO THE FIRE A MOMENT. ENTER THE BEGGAR, WHO STARTLES HER.
BEGGAR
Alms for the poor. Alms. Alms for the poor.
JUSTINA
Oh go away!
BEGGAR
Bad tempered. As usual.
JUSTINA
You woke me up.
BEGGAR
That'll be right. Asleep as usual.
JUSTINA
I was having the strangest dream.
BEGGAR
When are you ever awake?
JUSTINA
There's nothing wrong with dreaming.
BEGGAR
I've no time for dreams. Alms for the poor.
JUSTINA
Oh shut up.
BEGGAR
How can I beg without asking?
JUSTINA
You could hold out your arms. In silent supplication.
Like this.
BEGGAR
Doesn't work so well. I know. I've tried it.
JUSTINA
What have you come back here for? I never give you anything.
BEGGAR
There's always hoping. Besides, it's your turn. I'm doing my rounds. Alms for the poor. Alms. Alms for the poor. Alms.
JUSTINA
I wish I had a door so thick I could never hear your cries.
BEGGAR
Very charitable. Alms for the poor.
JUSTINA
Why don't you go to the rich?
THE BEGGAR CACKLES.
BEGGAR
The rich have hearts of stone.
JUSTINA
Don't talk to me of stones!
BEGGAR
I'm not. I'm talking about money.
JUSTINA
I haven't got any. I've got nothing.
BEGGAR
Liar.
JUSTINA
It's true.
BEGGAR
Everyone has something.
JUSTINA STARTS TO PUSH THE BEGGAR OFF STAGE.
JUSTINA
Everyone but me. Don't waste your time. Please go away.
BEGGAR
Your time's up, anyway. I'll go. But even stones have souls. And clods of earth and blocks of wood. They'd be easier to beg from than you.
JUSTINA
I haven't even got a soul. I just signed it away.
EXIT THE BEGGAR, CACKLING.
BEGGAR
(OFF) She hasn't even got a soul! Oh Justina, Justina!
Alms for the poor. Alms.
JUSTINA
I can't have. I must have been dreaming. I was going to clean the floor.
But there's that broom. I never had that before. And did I really have the stone? I'll rake out the ash.
JUSTINA OPENS UP THE GRATE. THE FIRE BURNS STRANGELY. SHE IS ABSORBED. ENTER FERNANDO. HIS HANDS ARE EMPTY.
FERNANDO
No bread. Not even a crumb. Everyone ignored me. When I asked, they walked on like I didn't exist. In this town, the only crime is failure.
JUSTINA
Fernando.
FERNANDO
What?
JUSTINA
Look. Look!
FERNANDO
Gold.
JUSTINA
Yes.
FERNANDO
Ow.
JUSTINA
Don't touch it. It's hot.
FERNANDO
It looks like gold.
JUSTINA
Yes.
FERNANDO
You've done it.
JUSTINA
Me?
FERNANDO
Well I didn't.
JUSTINA
I'm not sure.
FERNANDO
It was you. You never lost faith. I did. But you didn't. I'd given up, but you kept on trying. And now you've done it. I think you're brilliant. I love you.
JUSTINA
It was just......I thought it was a dream.
FERNANDO
That it doesn't matter. We've got the gold. That's real enough. Now we can be happy.
JUSTINA
Can we?
FERNANDO
Of course we can. We'll buy a house.
JUSTINA
I don't want a house.
FERNANDO
Then we'll do up this place. We'll get a new bed. A feather mattress. Some comfy chairs. Real glass for the windows. Champagne. We can have parties. It'll be lovely.
BEGGAR
(OFF) Alms for the poor! Alms. Alms for the poor.
JUSTINA
We'll give her some.
FERNANDO
No we won't.
JUSTINA
What?
FERNANDO
We'll hide it. Quick.
JUSTINA
Why?
FERNANDO
She'll want the lot.
THEY HIDE THE GOLD. ENTER BEGGAR.
FERNANDO
Lovely day.
BEGGAR
It's raining.
FERNANDO
Nice rain. Wet.
BEGGAR
What are you being so nice for?
FERNANDO
Just making conversation.
BEGGAR
You look happy.
JUSTINA
Us?
BEGGAR
Makes no difference anyway.
FERNANDO
No?
BEGGAR
When people are happy, they don't want to be made sad. So they don't give.
When people are sad, they've no time for sympathy. So they don't give.
I don't like it.
PAUSE.
FERNANDO
You're back very soon.
BEGGAR
I smell gold.
FERNANDO
Thought you had a cold.
BEGGAR
Gold clears it. Gold cures anything.
And I'm sure. Got a nose for it.
FERNANDO
Round the corner. A merchant. I saw him as I was coming in. His purse was bulging.
BEGGAR
Where?
FERNANDO
All over.
BEGGAR
Where was the merchant?
FERNANDO
Seeing a priest.
BEGGAR
Which priest?
FERNANDO
The fat one. With indigestion. That always talks of hell.
THE BEGGAR SNIFFS.
BEGGAR
But I can smell it. Here. I'm on the scent. On the other hand. Is it likely, I ask myself, that the likes of you could really have found out how to make gold? Is it plausible? No.
FERNANDO
Certainly not.
BEGGAR
With the fat priest, you said?
FERNANDO
Yes.
BEGGAR
Humph.
FERNANDO
The merchant'll be out in a minute. He'll be desperate for a good deed.
BEGGAR
I'll go. On the other hand. My nose is itching. And it never lies. I'll be back.
EXIT BEGGAR.
FERNANDO
That's got rid of her.
JUSTINA
Swine.
FERNANDO
Why?
JUSTINA
Deceiving her like that. Not giving her any.
FERNANDO
Neither did you.
JUSTINA
I should have done.
FERNANDO
I didn't stop you.
JUSTINA
And I thought you believed in charity.
FERNANDO
That was different.
JUSTINA
Why?
FERNANDO
We had nothing to give.
JUSTINA
Hypocrite.
FERNANDO
Anyway we couldn't give her this. Not all this. It'd make her miserable. And there wouldn't be any for us.
JUSTINA
We could've given her a little bit.
FERNANDO
And we will. Once we've divided it. Don't worry. Let's be happy.
JUSTINA
How?
FERNANDO
Well I don't know. We're obviously out of practice. But we'll find a way. Won't we? We got what we wanted.
JUSTINA
I thought you wanted love.
FERNANDO
That was before I got gold.
JUSTINA
I'm not sure I like this.
FERNANDO
I do. I'm so tired of being poor. And now it's all over. It's wonderful.
JUSTINA
What are you doing?
FERNANDO
Making a parcel.
JUSTINA
What for?
FERNANDO
To carry it through the streets. I don't want people to see it. I don't want to get my throat cut.
JUSTINA
But where are you taking it?
FERNANDO
To a bank.
JUSTINA
Why?
FERNANDO
So we can live off the interest.
JUSTINA
Is that right?
FERNANDO
Who cares? We'll be rich.
JUSTINA
Shouldn't we give it away?
FERNANDO
Some of it. But not all of it.
JUSTINA
Shouldn't we work?
FERNANDO
The rich don't work. Not nowadays. No-one makes money by working. They make money from having money. They get richer for being rich already. The rich sit on high balconies and look down on the tumult below. They watch the porters coming from the market, staggering to and fro under heavy loads, and they say: the poor are poor because they don't know how to work.
We'll do the same. We'll stay in bed all day. We'll sip exotic drinks from crystal glasses and we'll throw a coin down from time to time. The life of the intellect.
That's the life for me. I'll become a philosopher. Or perhaps an economist.
JUSTINA
Your face has changed.
FERNANDO
Has it?
JUSTINA
Gone a nasty colour.
FERNANDO
The mirror's cracked. Never mind. We'll get a new one.
JUSTINA
The books are wrong.
FERNANDO
What are you talking about?
JUSTINA
They say gold is the noblest of metals. The most lustrous. The most pure.
FERNANDO
Oh but they're right there. I love it.
JUSTINA
But I know what gold is now. It's dull and heavy and it's made you bad.
FERNANDO HAS FINISHED HIS PARCEL.
FERNANDO
I'll be off now.
JUSTINA
Don't go.
FERNANDO
But we're losing interest.
JUSTINA
Give me the gold.
FERNANDO
No.
JUSTINA
Please.
FERNANDO
You'll do something silly with it.
JUSTINA
I won't. I promise. I'll do something better. The best thing of all. The best thing for both of us. Trust me.
Please.
FERNANDO
Alright.
JUSTINA
Thank you.
FERNANDO
I've changed my mind.
JUSTINA
Too late.
FERNANDO
No!
FERNANDO GETS BETWEEN JUSTINA AND THE FIRE. THEY START TO STRUGGLE FOR THE GOLD.
FERNANDO
You're going to throw it in the fire.
JUSTINA
No. Yes! Please. It's not what we wanted. Look what it's doing to us.
FERNANDO
It's making us happy!
JUSTINA
It's not. And I wanted the real gold. Philosopher's gold.
FERNANDO
You're mad.
JUSTINA
No! I want to change it into something better.
FERNANDO
There's nothing better. You'll see. And you'll give it to me. Now. Or I'll take it.
JUSTINA
Don't.
FERNANDO
I will. I'm warning you.
FERNANDO SNATCHES THE GOLD AND THROWS JUSTINA TO THE GROUND.
FERNANDO
You asked for that.
EXIT FERNANDO.
JUSTINA
And I sold my soul for this!