ESCAPE

(add TRY To ESCAPE

(airplanes?

(legions?

Escape. Prove that you can escape

Escape from what

Just escape

Escape from what

(Pause

Prove that you are thge greatest escape artist. Right now-- here-- escape

There’s nothing to escape from here

I can’t escape

I bet you can escape

No. I bet he can’t escape

Suppose he invented an airplane, with banannas for engines.

Would escape be possible in such an airplane

Too late

Is it dark already

Yes. It’s dark for airplanes with banannas for engines

Too late

What kind of fruit do you like

Too late

See if you can make any sense out of this story

I don’t like stories

Everybody likes stories

Tell me.

The fighter airplanes say

we are alone on earth.

Therefore, to speak is an exercise in futility.

They are blind, they are deak. They have no tactile sensations. They consider themselves the most frustrated of beings and drop many bombs without hesitation.

I knew it. I knew it was like that

The one thing they lust for is aesthetic sensibility

but that too is denied them

Can I help?

No. But help

Why this anguish?

The sudden warmth of his invitation seized me. I got a headach from holding back

Can I help?

No. But help.

It's one of my favorite words. No. It's my favorite word.

I help whenever I get help

The more times you can use the word help in a sentence, the more it helps.

Help myself.

Help yourself.

Help yourself to the word help, which is how I help myself.

(Pause)

Help yourself to some fruit.

I don't think I should eat right now.

(Pause)

One of the most potent ideas I ever had, ever, was the idea that in the center of the fruit was a pit, and the pit was the radio in the center of the fruit. And the whole fruit helps-- the radio in the center of the fruit.

My ear; helps.

My ear was help also.

Does this help? My ear helps.

(Pause)

Have some fruit now

Eat it, or let it turn into the radio that it is.

In the Hotel Radio, the fruit placed in bowls which sit on small tables in each room-- no radios in rooms, but fruit in rooms, and in the center of the fruit, is a radio.

(Pause)

I imagine flying over the city and seeing the letters painted on the tops of buildings spelling the words " Radio".

(In radio)

Where shall I put it

I'd rather have my suitcases delivered

Soon

when

soon

When is soon

The radio could take your mind off your problems

Is that true?

Sometimes

Plug it in but don't turn it on

No. You plug it in

(Pause)

Just put it on the table

(done, gone)

Self discovery in a room. This does not seem possible.

Escape. Prove you can escape

How

Spin, so that everything mixes in everything else

No

You spin internally

(Pause

Yes. Internally

But if I look close, I should be able to pick up on that

That must be a spcial talent

No-- you're the one with the special talent

I dodn't say so

(Pause)

You didn't have to say so to somebody else with special talent

Hello

Careful, I am not myself

Well, in a certain sense I am not myself either

(Pause

From whence arises my bitterness. My despondency

I have no idea

Don’t worry. Nothing I say is serious, after all

You look serious. Your face looks serious

But there’s nothing serious in the things I say

You look serious

Nothing I do or say is serious

there should be a brightness in the eye of a non serious person.

(Pause).

A hole opened in the sky, but nothing filled it, and it occupied time past as well as time future. Men climbed a specific mountain in order to see into the hole-- this hole they had no idea of-- its existence like the hole in front of the eye that moves when the eye moves.

So these men-- better than blind, suhuufled in their shoes over the rocks, and balanced on the final uppermost rock, and fell at last onto the whole of which they knew nothing, and nothing changed.

Back in the city

The clocks were climbing the stairs. What stairs? The ones at the end of the hall-- but isn't that all stairs, don't all starts come at the end of a hall. Isn't that where all stairs are located. There are just a certain number of exceptions, but these exceptions don't prevent us from stating the obvious, because what is obvious is generally the case, about stairs particularly.

Once upon a time, This knowledge empowered me in particular. He stood with confidence, ascended with confidence. Time, which stretched out in front of him like it stretched out in front of everybody else, held a certain number of surprises for him, but he was prepared for these surprises, because he knew they were coming. Yes, he was upset when they happened, some of them, but he expected to be upset. So his expectations were fulfilled and there were no surprises. Sometimes, he had to check his watch and usually, often, he was never extremely surprised or upset, because it was approximately the time he imagined it to be before checking his watch. But he checked his watch just to make sure.

Politeness

Ah, is that what rules your life?

Its a good quality. It malkes life possible, above the level of the brutes

So it does

Well, it does

And what's beyond that? Politeness, I mean, because I agree that politeness is beyond the level of the brutes-- but what's beyond politeness.

You tell me

Outside the rules of the game, there are no rules. In other words there are no rules outside the rules of the game.

Imagine what adventures Max must have had

I can't possibly imagine

Come now, try

But what I imagine can't possibly be the equal to the fact

That's no reason not to do one's best

But I'm convinced my best isn't goof enough. Can you blame me for not wanting to humiliate myself in front of Max?

You care that much

Oh yes, I care very much what Max thinks of me.

Dear Max, , yiou see what an uncomfortable position Otto finds himself in.

I'm sure he sees it

He hasn't said he sees it

Shall we ask him iof he sees it?

All right, lket's as him. Dear Max, do you see what a terribly uncomfortable position poor Otto finds himself in

Yes. I see it

You see? I'm always willing to vouch for Max's ability to see things like that

Yes, I agree Max can see most anything that's there to see.

I think so

(Pause) Dear Max, there's a way to help us out of this dilema

I quite understand what you'd like

Do you?

Yes. You'd like to hear me tell about my adventures

Oh that would be nice

Adventures in the jungle, specifically

Yes, that's what I thought you meant

The south American jungle-- did you know we meant to be that specific

I certainly meant to be that specific.

(Pause) But: You've decided not to speak about it

Well, not completely

Oh? My appitite is wetted., My appitite is very wet, juicly wet, I might say

I've dicided to give hints.

Hints?

Yes. Occasional hints

Nothing more than hints

That's right, just hints

How disappointing

It doesn't have to be disappointing.

Oh, I know

What do you know

I can p[ick up on your train of thought

Can you really?

Of course I can

I'd like to hear you elaborate

Of course Max, as you know it gives me pleasure to elaborate, it always gives me pleasure to elaborate, because I'm such a very enthusiastic elaborator in general, about a wide variety of subjects, there's one thing I like to do very much, and that is to elaborate.

(Pause)

Which is why you decided to play the game of hints with us rather than the game of full and detailed explication. Don't even bother to say I'm right, I know I'm right.

You're right

Please, that isn't necessary.

(Pause)

My only question is-- when can we expect the first of these wonderful hints. No-- that wasn't phrased properly since in fact I do accept that we may already, even as of this vrery moment, have been given the first or even the second or third of this series of hints that we are going to be graced with thanks to the relative generosity Max is showing us-- and I only say rfelative you understand, because in spite of Max's excellent stratagy which I understand and appreciate, in this particular case in spite of my normal and admitted proclivities, I have to admit, honest as I should like to be in all matter of interaction with dear friend Max, honest as I should like to be I must admit that I would still prefer not hints-- but actualy, detailed recounting of experiences. I'm so sure they would prove-- these experiences, even even outsidstance my own wonderful fleshed out imaginings.

You've switched.

Yes I know I've switched. I've decided my previous pro- imagine it position was in fact, poverty strickedn in the face of the reality of Max's very tremendous adventures.

(Pause) How can you be sure they were tremendous?

Oh I just can

Give me a hint

A hint? From me? Goodness-- a hint about what

A hint about how you can be absolute certain my experiences were tremendous rather than, oh. . .say -- banal?

No, I'm sure they weren't banal experiences

While I don't for the life of me know how you can be so sure-- I'm not even asking for a full explination, I'm just asking for a hint.

Hints-- deserve hints in response?

Oh , I do expect parity. I'm not out to establish some matmathical basis

Oh, thank goodness dear Max, because mathmatics are not, alas, my strong point.

Well, their not your WEAK point Oliver

I'd have to didsagree

--I've seen you do some superiour mathmatics. Well, if not superiour, at least provocative.

Ah-- my poiunt exactly. I admit to provocative mathmatics, in lieu of being able to come up with superior mathmatics, I try to brace up my own sense of well being with provocative mathmatics but as you know only too well, dear Max, provocative mathmatics are not superiour mathmatics.

Too showy?

Exactly, Otto, too showy

I wouldn't be able to judge

I understand, But Max is able to judge.

Well, perhaps I'm not, since in my opinion, I've seen you do superior mathmatics.

(Pause) That's not kind, Max

Maybe it's a hint

--No such thing! (smiles) Can I make Max a drink?

Let me offer you a drink

There's nothing in the glass

(Pause)

Oh well, that's an oversight on my part.

I'll pass

I know

(Pause)

Isn't you arm getting tired?

Of course

Then . . .rest it

I'm trying to be polite

It isn't operating like that. It's the opposite

Think again

You're trying to force an unwelcome drink on me

You said it didn't exist

Well, it's empty, but it's a glass

Then take it, and I'll be able to relax my arm.

(Done)

You see? You take it from me, which doesn't mean you have to drink it

There's nothing to drink

Yes, we've established that

(Pause)

Your arm doesn't hurt, no?

Your arm was extended. Mine is comfortably tucked into my body

That must be it

Yes

(Sits)

This is to give you permission

That could mean sitting, or getting rid of this empty glass--

--Or something else

Do I have to keep guessing?

I'd suggest-- no guesses. But rather a significant zeroing in, instinct-like. Plunging straight to the heart

(Pause)

That sounds excellent

You have permission

(Pause)

Times up

Oh well, there's always tomorrow

Do you really believe that?

(Pause)

Unless I'm not here. But tomorrow, I assume, will turn up nevertheless

Do I have permission to rise?

Of course

You have permission to put the glass back on the shelf

(Done)

Can I offer you a drink?

No thank you

Ah. I like that. A man who doesn't drink

Is it because I don't like clouding my mind?

I was about to applaud, but now I withold my applause

You prefer it if my mind if clouded

It's not preference versus non-preference. It's an objective fact

I appologize

Never

I thought appology might be a way of clouding the mind

You misunderstand. I'M the one that never appologizes

I'm sure

Careful--

--Cloudy-- but sure

Ah

(Pause)

I appologize

Accepted

Really?

Have a seat

(Goes)

No-- wait a minute-- have a drink first

(Goes, pours, drunk)

What was it like.

Fire.

Pour me one, please.

(Done, drinks)

What was it like?

Fire!

(Both laugh, music)

Open a door once. You'll have no more trouble

Why this anguish?

The sudden warmth of his invitation seized me. I got a headach from holding back

Why this anguish, so wasted?

Are you a jaguar?

No.

Are you a spotted lepoard?

No

A wild boar?

No

(Pause)

How many guesses do I have left

(Figures, then--)

Five

I can't believe I've already used fifteen

But you have

I would have thought seven or eight

Fifteen. I always keep track

That must be your speciality

Not my specialty.

(Pause)

What is your speciality

If you can guess what animal, you'll have a clue

With only five guesses left, I may not

True

(Pause)

But you're certainly not going to give up til the very last guess?

I suppose I won't

(Pause)

Lynx

No

Amarillo?

No

Tiger

(heard shakes no)

Python

No

(Pause)

You have one more

I know

Don't be discouraged

Bager

No

(Pause)

I win

What do you choose as your reward

Ah, that's been worrying you

No it hasnt

I can see it has

You're very wrong

OK. My choice is, actually it's nothing so terrible. My choice is-- take off your dress

Just my dress?

Yes

(Pause)

Your outer dress. Just the first layer.

(She does)

Now it's your turn

OK

Chose an animal

(Pause)

Take whatever time you need

All right

You have one?

Yes

You really think it's the one you're closest too out of all others?

Yes.

(Pause)

Zebra

(Pause)

Am I right?

How did you do that?

(Pause)

Intuition

You must have had wonderful adventures in the Jungle.

In Borneo

Not really

Tell me about it

I don't think so.

You're experiences must have been fascinating. Were they fascinating.

They could be called fascinating

Could be called? You mean they weren't to you? To you they were banal, or ordinary, or boring, but to others of lesser experience--

I can't speak for others.

Do you think I would have found them fascinating?

I don't know what you find fascinating.

OK Anthony Rimbaud

can you make up your mind

to produce siongificant changes in your life that won’t promise more than a delicate maneuver can deliver?

I’m talking about speed, surface mail

Oh Anthony Rimbaud

can you submit yourself to multi-dimentional analysis

that doesn’t analyse the already obsce;enet data of hard fact

but rather

really gets into the you-know-what esoterica of feelings as plain as the nose on your face?

Face it. I’m alarmed

Face it, I’m kinda charmed by that

O Anthony Rimbaud

Jump first-- and whatever you call nervous feet

won’t get you to the starting line even

because after the celebration of general elation

you’ll already be far past what you wanted to begin with

What’s the real dope on this

You have to ask, smart ass?

Please-- wipe me out

Somebody did it better

before I offered the seat of my pants for a significant collision--

look, lips stick to whatever they pucker after

I consider each kiss a committment

I consider each committment like a jump

into the gene pool of imaginary castles in air-- but who walks after dark?

I don’t like being chained to the wall by other people’s imagination

Look, Anthony Rimbaud

Whenever imagination’s the subject

I pull out my anti-bullet revolver

which shoots better than it does mathmatics

because the number of bullets is no more

than a function of spiritual depth

Did you say death?

That’s never spiritual, Anthony Rimbaud. What that plumbs is tomorrows missed opportunities

Look,, Anthony Rimbaud

I can see your perpetual confusion

and what I offer is the solutuion

in the shape of a “why bothere ME about things

--If you had to makes bets

you’d never agree to the re-organization of the statistics department.

You know why?

Because statistics don’t even kill people.

You like swimming in shallow water the minute you discover

it goes on for miles enough to circle a globe that gives

the feeling of infinity in it’s super practical roundness

My head spins, of course

That’s what I had in mind, but I never thought of it as a mistake

Look Anthony Rimbaud

Just because I do something with committment

doesn’t mean that when push comes to shove

I can’t make committments in a very opposite direction.

You do the same, please

I see that happening, but I call it double trouble

Do I like trouble?

I do too, but I don’t get to talk about it like you do

Just open a different door. Get a handle on it

How come when you say handle

what I see is a punch in the mouth

You’re talking metaphores, I think

Everything’s a metaphore the minute I get my teeth in it

Look Anthony Rimbaud

The minute you the head bell rings itself, then somebody’s language says to you that unbeknownst

--I creep into a sound factory you never knew you called into being.

So therefore

take a coffee break but never drink coffee

Other things are bad for my nervces

You just lost them

I did not. I feel like a house on fire

Look Anthony Rimbaud

putting out blazes is a hellofa way to extend your sphere of influence, and don’t think I don’t wanna see that happen

but at the same time I want you to participate

in an after school party while you, me, and a couple of close friends

are still in what everybody calls mint condition

Could we make that a promise?

I never make promises because first I keep them

That confuses me

Look Anthony Rimbaud

to be dedicated to confusion is a good idea, so long as you don’t go under for the third time until you signed up for a deep water bank account.

That means

funds are liquid, but what floats is no loan of an emotion

but rather a load of responsibility you can see through like glass

Does water scare you?

Then don’t bother to swim

when a long drink gets you back to dry land just as fast

Fore some reason, I can’t drink with my mouth open

Look Anthony Rimbaud

You don’t have a problem there, you have a solution

I didn’t understand that

But now you do, so bottoms up. Now you do

(offered glass, drinks)

Think about it Anthony Rimbaud

you won’t be better off tomorrow than you are today

Think abiut it Anthony Rimbaud

Your garden won’t have enough magnolia trees to carry a tune unless you plant magnolias.

And you say flowers don’t sing-- of course not,

but it takes more than poetry to plant an effective hook line and sinker

Think about it Anthony Rimbaud

When you have a close relative

you never give him or her permission to depart from life’s highway unless the car they happen to be driving is a non-stolen vehicle so you can say “I don’t have crooks for relatives”

Then I’d say you’re lucky and half bored, both at once

You’re trying to manipulate my moral values

Are you getting emotional about it?

Not soon enough. I realize my inhibitions

If you realize your inhibitions, you’d immediately double tripple and quadrouple them with giving a second thought

Did I hear you say-- second sight?

Is that what you’re hot for?

Think about it Anthony Rimbaud

You don’t change your pants, you just send them to the cleaners, which means somebodyt gets a bath even though they’re not going on television

Think abut it Anthony Rimbaud, if you want to make a name for yourself you have to fight real hard whenever the cream puff in your face says I’m having nights on the town but you’re not invited

I’m not looking for entertainment

What are you looking for

I’ll never tell, because I know enough to keep my mouth shuit whever the bricks start falling

Nothing’s going to pieces, Anthony Rimbaud-- what you call a tumble is just a coloring book that decided to change it’s modus operendus

Greeks to me

Nobody here knows any languages except think-tank

I thought that was a place, not a state of mid

You’ve been sent home, Anthony Rimbaud

This doesn’t feel like home

Quite right, because you disobeyed orders without even knowing how to go about it

Think about it Anthony Rimbaud

To improve your behavior, improve your behavior

How?

Don’t ask until you’ve read up on at least seven sentimental subjects that don’t make you particularly excited

Think about it Anthony Rimbaud

Your personal tomorrow is already in the ashcan of history

I can hope

Not unless you wanna look stupid in front of everybody you have a grudge against

Nobody;’s in that catagory. I make an effort to like people

See what I mean? That’s provocation in a big way

Think about it Anthony Rimbaud

You could have friendship, so long as you butter your toast with ice-skates, because when the hot weather comes, emotionally you’ll wanna be way past toast

Did you say past-tense?

I said butter your lip

Did you tell me to button my lispe?

No, I said you talkj sweet, or of course you would if you could think of something important to say

Think about it Anthony Rimbaud

anything you decide is important is probably evasive action, so therefore you should assume you have to begin again-- maybe a hundred times

Think about it Anthony Rimbaud

you’re running out of hypothetical steam, so when everybody offers a smile of assistance, don’t smile back--

JUST STAND THERE

Stand there?

That’s right, just stand there and don’t make another move

until you come up with one REALY PENETRATING IDEA!

(Pause)

Ah. Here’s what I call a complementrarty catastropy

Tell me about it

Briefly, I’m dead

Then how come I’m talking to you?

Smooth, sweet. but no kick

Then bend over now, please.

Add that position to your repetoire

and you’ll live to regret nothing you can’t highlight with

three contradictory fingers point to different parts of somebody else’s very desirable body

You know how I feel that body

Oh yes. But an unexpressed emotional vector goes down the drain

unless somebody gambles his life away with a verbal committment.

Can you still talk?

I’ve been saying too much

That’s what I mean. What I’m looking for is non-directional bable, and then I’ll know where your heart really lies.

Even I don’t know

Liar. That’s the best thing you have going for you

(Pause)

Why does the poetry go out of my life the minute I let passing time dictate no longer irrelevent rules

Such ideas are entertaining, but without much connection to reality

Is life supposed to keep me entertained?
(Pause)

Hello life? Do you have an obligation to entertain me?

Should I play the part of life?

That's the idea

OK. I don't think I have an obligation to be entertaining

Who exactly put me here-- shall we say-- in your particular catagory

What's my catagory

Everything living. That includes me

You're in my catagory

Yes

(Pause)

You don't find it entertaining

No

I appologize

At least I get an appology. But I don't get entertainment

Should I go

Would that heighten the entertainment quotient?

Probably not

Then why go

(Pause)

I better go

(Goes)

Now I'm alone. And in fact, it's more entertaining to be alone than to be frustrated. Thank you, life

(Pause)

Is it more entertaining to be alone than to be frustrated. Well, yes-- in that my mind feels freer. I don't feel constraints on my imagination.

I'm not in control

Is this a problem?

No

(Pause)

I was announcing an achievement

It's an internal contradiction

No. When I say I'm not in control, what I mean is something else has taken over. It's not that I myself have achieved not being in control-- it's that I welcome what something else has been able to do with this raw material. Me.

(Pause)

I too, wanted to be able to philosophize without letting thought have anything to do with it

Of course

In fact I’m looking for a teacher

Why

I think the time is ripe

Oh please. Don't worry about it

Maybe I struck a deep responsive chord in somebody to whom I was speaking secretly?

That’s very possible

(Pause)

Sould we permit outselves to turn on the radio?

Weren’t you told? The radio is no longer relevent

I might have guessed. Whenever I develope an idea, it changes.

Time will tell.

The futiure will tell, yes.

No, maybe the past will tell even better.

Then the way I put it was right. Time will tell.

Right. Time will tell. But notice how this continual jumping into new ideas -- turns out to be quite predictable

What adventure superceeded that predictibility

Adventure?

(Pause)

Or is this the v end of the epoch of adventures

We'll have to do some further exploration to find out

I hope not

Ah-- there's you adventure

I hope not?

Yes

(Pause)

I hope

Yes

But I wonder if another word could be provoked. A different word

Different than "yes"

Yes

I doubt it

If only you belonged to the right species, you could perhaps jump over yourself

I’d be in line for a promotion

Promotion? I don't think so

What's my line of work

In my opinion?

Yes

I don't want to share that with you

Why not

I’m afraid it might interfere with self devolpment

That statement is especialy designed to provoke me

See? My species has been identified

Zebra

No

Hyena?

Not at all

Kangeroo

Just because a kangeroo leaps himself across the landscape-- don't think I'm capable of doing anything so spectacular

Ah, but in your dreams?

In my dreams, I am all things to all people

Even me

Even you

Then I've lost the animal quize

Don't worry. There'll be others--

Don't promise me a surprise because then I won't be able to recognize it

That's the surprise

Suppose, the sun comes out, and the entire world seems to brighten. But it’s never the entire world-- it’s just one small part of the landscape-- enjoying a momentary break in cloud cover

Let me just close my eyes and imagine I'm crossing a green field. In the sunlight? No, it's overcast-- You see what's happening. I'm trying to surprise myself and I can't

That's why I help

trying to be on my side by turning against me

against us both

That was supposed to surprise me

I admit that's possible.

(Pause)

What are the alternatives

Giving up, I suppose

Oh, this must be a retroactive decision

Yes. I gave up

I give up now

Surprise

(Pause)

It's the same thing

If it's the same thing, it isn't a surprise

Surprise

(Pause)

That makes it a surprise.

(Writes, stops)

Wise men have known all along, that all I had to do was keep the pen in motion over the paper

You mean-- they've known that all THEY had to do--

Who

(Pause)

Wise men

That's what I said

All right

(Pause)

And you keep the pen moving over the paper

I've stopped

Why

Not for the reason you think

(Pause)

In fact-- my wrist is giving me pain

Well, you tell me that, so now it IS the reason I think.

Right. But you can

't do anything more than IMAGINE the pain

Right

If you read what I wrote, would you be capable of imagining that also

Possibly. Unless what you wrote is really something that is really, deeply beyond me

I don't think I could pull that off

I don't either

Does anything hurt

Yes

What

My wrist

Really

See how I'm smiling? It's just an idea that came to me. My wrist doesn't really hurt

You respond to your environment

Yes I do

(Pause)

But you respond to your environment in a very particular way that might be yours alone

Well, my 'environment', seen as a totality, might be mine alone also

We don't share it?

Not a hundred percent

Of course not

(Pause)

That means I'm free to go

(Does)

(Pause)

Ah. Now we share being alone-- one hundred percent

(Pause)

Once I tried to write a letter with my left hand

But I never found out if it was hard to read because I never looked at it, plus

I never showed it to anybody else

BUT I feel certain it expressed something that only my left hand was able to express

(Pause)

Waiting for the flood gates to open, I suppose

(Pause)

Jesus christ-- am I really here alone? Well I can hardly claim to have erased every mental residue, so when I'm talking to myself, it isn't really myself only.

This-- universe of mine is still

(whirls)

relatively well populated

(whirls and falls)

(in)

Did you fall

Yes-- how the hell did you know that

Well, I heard a thud

(rising)

That's one explination

Do you have another?

Maybe we're well attuned

Of course we're well attuned

(Pause)

Well, then I don't need you here

Ok> I get it

(exit)

(Calls)

I'll need you here sometimes. Later. But not all the time

(Sits, picks up newspaper-- reads-- toss away)

This crap isn't what I wanted

(Presses temples: other looks in)

Go away.

No

Go away

No. Look at the wall

No

Look at the picture of a flower on the wall

(done, she looks away: Pause)

Do you have to look at it again

No

I wonder if it's still there

(Out, looks, closes)

Yes. It’s still there

Look away from it again again

Decisions, decisions.

(Done. Pause)

Cover your eyes

(Done)

Uncover them

(Done)

Is anything different?

No

This is a superficial perspective

There are two sides to every question and there are two sides to every perspective and I'm finding out they balance each other perfectly

You mean compleely

(Pause)

I'd like to get closer to you

--Back off

How

I'll demonstrate

(Goes)

Into what special loophole, do I apparently project all my verbal energy

I can't pick up on it

Oh yes, you manage to change the subject

Does everything "click in' yet?

If you change the subject, why not

(Pause)

That leaves a wide open field

Careful, I'm probably going to overpower you no matter what direction you head

Maybe I can find a loophole

I'll be in and out ahead of you

After that it'll be my space for a change

Breathe easy

I will

I mean now

Then shut up

(Pause)

Ah, nothing's moving

You need my imput

Her verbal pyrotechniques seem to be lighting up my personal horizon, damn it

Give thanks--

He does, but that doesn't eliminate mixed emotions

Ambivilances

Ah, you use words differently than I do

Go ahead. Hit me

(Pause)

I don't like following orders

Hit me.

(Pause. Exits)

Come back so I can hit you

(Pause)

Well. Thank god this hand didn't have to offend anybody

(Exit Pause She in other door. He in other door)

What was the first thing you noticed when you came to this city

I noticed how it was familar but confusing

Thank you

Why

That confirms my own understanding

Confused?

Yes

Then you don't mean understanding

(Pause)

I mean something I couldn’t put my finger on --but my head keeps turning in the right direction

Thank you

Please

This is amazing

What

I’m not grightened of things

No, I'm not frightened of things

(Smiles)

Even though we're still confused about certain things

We like that

If I went downstairs and stepped out the front door at this moment, how would I know in which direction to circulate

It would depend on your inner proclivities

I'd like to find a nice resturant

Hungry?

No, I'm talking about the ambience

Ah, what kind of people do you want to be surrounded by--

(setting up resturant tables)

No-- I only want the resturant to have one or two other customers. You see I don't want to be alone, but I don't want OUTSIDE brain activity to be oppressing my own brain activity

(Pause)

You just described an unresolveable paradox

What

You can't think unless somebody else helps

I didn't say I wanted to do any THINKING

Oh? Try putting a stop to it

Yes

You can do that?

Maybe

I don't think you can do that

(Pause)

If I could find such a resturant, I could find out

What would you order

I said I wasn't hungry

I think they'd throw you out if you didn't order something

Physically-- throw me out?

Yes

I'll order coffee

More

I'll order hors d'oeuvres

Like?

Like cheeze

That sounds like after dinner, rather than hors d'oeuvers

Then I won't

Why

Because I won't be having dinner--

Where do those ideas come from?

(Pause)

You're right. I could develope my ideas this way, all by myself

You see?

Go away--

Aren't we going out

Go away

To a resturant?

No

Why

Remember, nothing I say is serious.

But I’d like going to lunch. Do I like going to lunch in my favorite resturant, in my favorite city?

(PAUSE)

Of course I do

(Pause)

Shall we go to a resturant?

(Pause)

I don't know my way around this city. I'd get lost looking for a rersturant

Where are you now

Here

Where

In this room

Where is that. I mean in relation to the plan of this city as a totality

I don't know

Then you're lost right now

In a sense

(drum roll in distance)

But I'm getting my bearings from the objects around me

Not necessarily

Then I’m lost

Trust me.

Why

Trust me. We sit here, looking forward to lunch, but it’s dinner time--

Then we change our expectations appropriately--

Is that possible? Legions are in the streets

Why

All expectations are disrupted--

I don’t believe it

Look out the window

There is no window

Turn on the radio

It doesn’t work

Try it. Maybe now it works

(Pause go turn it on)

RADIO:

Legions. Legions are in the streets

See? Now it works

RADIO
Legions are in the streets

What made it work suddenly

The necessity of the situation, I suppose--

RADIO

Legions, are in the streets, storming the streets, testifying to their own reality in the face of a reality that changes, inhabiting what were heretofore known as public places,

turing them into the guize of what could be hereafter be known

as living rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms--

devouring events, public and private,

so that generalization becomes

not just acceptable--

but the most delicate accomplishment of the human mind itself,

folded back, overitself like the coils of an intestinal machine

tracing the streets like maps of much, much better brain

visited, finally

by someone mysterious, with a superiour mind

who glances towards an appropriate dark corner

who smiles, who whispers--

easy to do things, when things are done

no longer for serious reasons

but just

for the mysterious pleasure of doing things--

so the joke, turns back on oneself, he says,

to engulf us completely, he says

as he disappears into new adventures

that have no serious meaning, after all

in the serious sense of things--

(clicking off radio)

I know the end of this story

How does it end.

A hole, opens in the sky over the city, but nothing fills it.

Men such as myself climb a specific moutain in order to see this hole-- this hole they haven’t see-- it’s existence like the hole of blindness in the center of the eye that moves when the eye moves--

So these men-- better than blind--

Where’s this mountain

Suffling in their shoes, up over the rocks, balancing on the uppermost rock, falling at last into the hole of which they knew nothing. And having disappeared. . .strangly enough. Nothing was different.

Back in the city-- clocks where still climbing the stairs to a room such as this room. And someone mysterious, with a superiour mind. followed them higher and higher--with confidence-- because time-- which stretched out before him like it stretches out in front of everyone else-- held a certain number of surprises for this man, but he was prepared for these surprises--

RADIO

--He was prepared

He knew they were coming

RADIO

He was prepared for these surprises

Andd yes, he was upset when they happened, some of them, but he expected to be upset

RADIO:

He was prepared

So his expectations were fulfilled, and there were no surprises. Though sometimes-- sometimes--

RADIO:

Sometimes, he had to check his watch. But often, he was never extremely surprised, and often, he was never terribly upset, because whenever he checked his watch-- it was always the approximate time he had imagined it to be, before checking his watch. But he checked it, and rechecked it, just to make sure.

THE END