Harold Pinter Plays 2 by Harold Pinter Read Free Book Online Page A

Look, all I meant was—
    MICK. Cut it! (Briskly.) Look! I got a proposition to make to you. I’m thinking of taking over the running of this place, you see? I think it could be run a bit more efficiently. I got a lot of ideas, a lot of plans. (He eyes DAVIES .) How would you like to stay on here, as caretaker?
    DAVIES. What?
    MICK. I’ll be quite open with you. I could rely on a man like you around the place, keeping an eye on things.
    DAVIES. Well now … wait a minute … I … I ain’t never done no caretaking before, you know.…
    MICK. Doesn’t matter about that. It’s just that you look a capable sort of man to me.
    DAVIES. I am a capable sort of man. I mean to say, I’ve had plenty offers in my time, you know, there’s no getting away from that.
    MICK. Well, I could see before, when you took out that knife, that you wouldn’t let anyone mess you about.
    DAVIES. No one messes me about, man.
    MICK. I mean, you’ve been in the services, haven’t you?
    DAVIES. The what?
    MICK. You been in the services. You can tell by your stance.
    DAVIES. Oh … yes. Spent half my life there, man. Over seas … like … serving … I was.
    MICK. In the colonies, weren’t you?

    DAVIES. I was over there. I was one of the first over there.
    MICK. That’s it. You’re just the man I been looking for.
    DAVIES. What for?
    MICK. Caretaker.
    DAVIES. Yes, well … look … listen … who’s the landlord here, him or you?  
    MICK. Me. I am. I got deeds to prove it.
    DAVIES. Ah … (Decisively.) Well listen, I don’t mind doing a bit of caretaking, I wouldn’t mind looking after the place for you.
    MICK. Of course, we’d come to a small financial agreement,
    mutually beneficial.
    DAVIES. I leave you to reckon that out, like.
    MICK. Thanks. There’s only one thing.
    DAVIES. What’s that?
    MICK. Can you give me any references?
    DAVIES. Eh?
    MICK. Just to satisfy my solicitor.
    DAVIES. I got plenty of references. All I got to do is to go down to Sidcup tomorrow. I got all the references I want down there.
    MICK. Where’s that?
    DAVIES. Sidcup. He ain’t only got my references down there, he got all my papers down there. I know that place like the back of my hand. I’m going down there anyway, see what I mean, I got to get down there, or I’m done.
    MICK. So we can always get hold of these references if we want
    them.
    DAVIES. I’ll be down there any day, I tell you. I was going down today, but I’m … I’m waiting for the weather to break.
    MICK. Ah.
DAVIES. Listen. You can’t pick me up a pair of good shoes, can you? I got a bad need for a good pair of shoes. I can’t get anywhere without a pair of good shoes, see? Do you thinkthere’s any chance of you being able to pick me up a pair?
    THE LIGHTS FADE TO BLACKOUT .
LIGHTS UP . Morning.
ASTON is pulling on his trousers over long underwear. A slight grimace. He looks around at the head of his bed, takes a towel from the rail and waves it about. He pulls it down, goes to DAVIES and wakes him. DAVIES sits up abruptly.
    ASTON. You said you wanted me to get you up.
    DAVIES. What for?
    ASTON. You said you were thinking of going to Sidcup.
    DAVIES. Ay, that’d be a good thing, if I got there.
    ASTON. Doesn’t look much of a day.
    DAVIES. Ay, well, that’s shot it, en’t it?
    ASTON. I … I didn’t have a very good night again.
    DAVIES. I slept terrible.
    Pause.
    ASTON. You were making.…
    DAVIES. Terrible. Had a bit of rain in the night, didn’t it?
    ASTON. Just a bit.
    He goes to his bed, picks up a small plank and begins to sand paper it.
    DAVIES. Thought so. Come in on my head.
    Pause.
    Draught’s blowing right in on my head, anyway.
    Pause.
    Can’t you close that window behind that sack?
    ASTON. You could.
    DAVIES. Well then, what about it, then? The rain’s coming right in on my head.
    ASTON. Got to have a bit of air.
    DAVIES gets out of bed. He is wearing his trousers, waistcoat and vest.
    DAVIES (putting on his sandals). Listen. I’ve lived all my life in the