Exit, pursued by a bear Read online

have owed their positions to extortion and exploitation?

  ANNA: Maybe. But the villagers speak well of them.

  PLACEK: Ach, they have to.

  ANNA: Nonsense! You just don’t understand a society where you don’t need to guard every word, because there’s no one listening behind the door.

  PLACEK: If you believe that, you’ll believe anything. And if it were true, you could never achieve justice in so undisciplined a society.

  ANNA: Why not?

  PLACEK: (kindly, but ignoring the question) Anna, I think I see what has happened to you. You’ve been lucky in finding an area of Western society that happens to be particularly attractive, a community reasonably content with itself, prosperous but not scarred by the means to prosperity, small enough for most people to know each other and perhaps quite genuinely to care for their neighbours. You probably think it’s all more or less like that. But most of the people live in the cities, and life there is completely different - every man for himself, and devil take the hindmost. Pardon the clichés, but in this instance they fit. Oh yes, some of the people make themselves extremely comfortable, thank you very much; but they don’t seem any too happy with it. And have you seen the derelicts sleeping out with no more than a cardboard box to shelter them? No, I thought not. You won’t find them so charmed with the benefits of "freedom." Even in a village like this, if you look beneath the surface, you’ll find some simmering resentments, particularly as the real villagers start to find themselves swamped by incomers who only sleep here and put next to nothing into the community - one of them, I might point out, being your own dear husband. No, there’s nothing to stop the slide into total decadence but a complete restructuring. In fact, restructuring here can come only after the collapse, and meanwhile we must protect our own revolution. Your assignment is a part of that grand strategy.

  ANNA: Yes, I know all that. It was all part of the political education.

  PLACEK: Then you have no excuse for forgetting it.

  ANNA: I haven’t forgotten. But I still won’t do it.

  PLACEK: Lieutenant! Remember your duty.

  ANNA: I do remember it - the whole filthy, stinking business! I’m getting out.

  PLACEK: And that's your final word?

  ANNA: It is.

  PLACEK: So be it, then. I don't expect you to believe this, but I sincerely hope that you won't suffer too much from what has to be done.

  He leaves. Anna stares defiantly after him.

  DISSOLVE TO TONY'S SITTING ROOM, FOLLOWING EVENING.

  Tony and Anna are playing Scrabble. Anna puts down her last tile in triumph.

  ANNA: There! I am out - and on a treble, too.

  TONY: Hm. I should have thought of that.

  ANNA: You're slipping! What is the score?

  TONY: You have - er - a hundred and eighty six. Mine's two hundred and fifty five. You're getting closer.

  ANNA: Would you like a coffee?

  TONY: Yes, please. I'll pack up the set.

  Anna goes to the kitchen. Tony gathers the Scrabble tiles into a bag. The door bell rings.

  TONY: I'll see to it.

  CUT TO THE STREET OUTSIDE TONY'S HOUSE, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING.

  Tony opens the door.

  PLACEK: Good evening, Professor Anderson.

  TONY: Good evening ...?

  PLACEK: Alexander Placek - you may remember we met at the Prague conference?

  TONY: Oh, yes, of course. I'm sorry, I couldn't quite place you for the moment. Do come in. We're just going to have coffee; will you join us?

  PLACEK: You are most kind. Thank you, yes.

  CUT TO TONY'S SITTING ROOM, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING.

  Placek enters and waits.

  TONY (calling from the hall): Make it three coffees, Anna. We've a visitor.

  ANNA (out of shot): Right

  Tony enters. He offers Placek a seat and sits himself.

  PLACEK: I hope that I am not intruding?

  TONY: Not at all. We weren't doing anything in particular.

  PLACEK: That is good. I had intended to write to you, but the time went by until I had to visit the university here and thought that I might give myself the pleasure of renewing your acquaintance in person.

  TONY: I'm delighted you did. Is it just a social call, or have you some other reason?

  PLACEK: Ah, you have guessed my guilty secret.

  TONY: Is that as bad as it sounds?

  PLACEK: I hope not. You will remember that after Prague, the next conference of the series was agreed to be in Kiev during the May of next year?

  TONY: Yes, as it happens I got the preliminary announcement and call for papers only last week. And the budget will just about run to my coming.

  PLACEK: Ah, that is interesting. You see - but first, I should explain to you that the organising committee has done me the honour of appointing me Conference Secretary.

  TONY: Congratulations! Or should it be commiseration?

  PLACEK: I am not at all sure myself. Anyway, my reason for approaching you is to ask if you would be willing to act as chairman for one of the sessions.

  TONY: Why yes, of course, I'd be delighted - and honoured.

  PLACEK: Excellent. I presume that you will be accompanied?

  TONY: Er -

  PLACEK: But there, I was forgetting - how foolish of me. When we last met you were worrying about your wife's health; is she now well?

  TONY: Actually she died quite soon afterwards.

  PLACEK: My friend! I am desolate! Please accept my deepest condolences.

  TONY: In the event it was a mercy. Margaret was in terrible pain.

  PLACEK: I see. It is good that you can take so heavy a blow philosophically. Though there must still be some pain for yourself, I fear.

  TONY: An occasional sadness. But there have been consolations.

  PLACEK: I am truly glad to hear it.

  TONY: But for the conference - take it that I'll be coming alone.

  PLACEK: Very well. That is understood.

  ANNA (briefly looking in): Milk and sugar? Oh!

  PLACEK: Sugar, no milk, thank you. (With a well-faked double take) My God!

  TONY: What's the matter?

  PLACEK: That girl - your domestic, I suppose?

  TONY: No, I should have explained. I married Anna six months ago.

  PLACEK (in an urgent whisper): My friend, I must speak to you most urgently, in complete privacy.

  TONY: What?

  PLACEK: Where can we meet and be sure that no one can overhear us?

  TONY: What on earth for?

  PLACEK: Never mind for the moment. But I do assure you that it is important.

  TONY: Well ... I suppose the University Park would do. There's a duck pond by the south gate, with a swan's nest on one side. I could be there two o'clock tomorrow. But what on earth ...?

  PLACEK: Not now.

  Anna brings the coffee. Placek resumes his customary suavity.

  PLACEK: Ah, the coffee. And may I compliment you on having so charming a hostess to grace your home ...?

  Return to Contents

  DISSOLVE TO THE UNIVERSITY PARK, THE FOLLOWING AFTERNOON.

  Tony stands watching ducks on a pond, near a swan's nest. The distant sound of a cricket game may be heard. Placek approaches casually, but spotting someone within earshot proceeds cautiously. Puzzled at first, Tony soon catches on.

  PLACEK: Ah, Professor Anderson!

  TONY: Good afternoon. Now what the devil is ..?

  PLACEK (sotto voce): One moment. (At a normal level) What a fine day it has become. Do you enjoy watching the ducks?

  TONY: Eh? Oh, yes. Whenever I feel worried or depressed, I come to look at them. They've never yet failed to cheer me up.

  PLACEK: That is good. There is something indeed comical about them. But the swan - he does not seem to find them so amusing.

  TONY: No, they've got eggs in the nest, so they always drive the ducks away. Though what harm they suppose they might do, goodness only knows.


  PLACEK: And look - at the nest, a rat is creeping up, and - yes - it has stolen one of the eggs.

  TONY: While the swan carries on regardless chasing the ducks.

  PLACEK: Just so. And there, my friend, is a lesson for ourselves. So often we fill our heads with worry about mere irritations, while the real enemy approaches stealthily to destroy us from behind.

  TONY: My word, we are getting philosophical, aren't we?

  PLACEK: Do not jest, my friend. Who but we will consider such matters? Come, let us walk together.

  TONY: You're being very mysterious. What's up?

  PLACEK (after checking surroundings): It concerns your work for the eastern dissident organisations.

  TONY (flabbergasted): My WHAT?

  PLACEK: Shhh! Please, be calm. You need not pretend to know nothing about it.

  TONY: But ...

  PLACEK: When we met in Prague, everything that you said about politics was circumspect in the extreme, but your meaning was clear to anyone who held the key.

  TONY: I never ...

  PLACEK: And, of course, you had responded correctly to the password.

  TONY: What the devil are you talking about? I can't make head or tail of it. Any more than I could in Prague.

  PLACEK: Oh?

  TONY: You baffled me completely then, but I thought I was simply too worried about Margaret to follow you properly, and made the best non-committal answers I could. If they fitted in with what you expected of a particular contact, I'm sorry, but that was pure bad luck. Honestly, you've got the wrong man.

  PLACEK: Ah, you are quite right to be cautious. After all, you cannot be sure that I am not a spy of my government, sent to penetrate your organisation.

  TONY (laughing): Oh, I hardly think so.

  PLACEK: It is not a matter for laughter. Such things do happen. And it is of those that I wish to warn you.

  TONY: Warn me?

  PLACEK: Yes. Your new wife - Anna, I think you called her - what do you know of her past life?

  TONY: Why bring her into it?

  PLACEK: That is what I wish to