Eleutheria (trad. Wright) by Samuel Beckett

Author:Samuel Beckett [Beckett, Samuel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

I have it, this method … (patting his stomach) here.

Mlle Skunk Oh Doctor, if only you could!

Dr Piouk Yes. (He reflects.) When I was the director … Isn’t there a chair anywhere here?

Glazier No. He’s lost interest in chairs. But there’s a bed. Of all the objects that poison our existence, that’s the only one he can still tolerate. Ah, beds! Sit down.

Dr Piouk (after a glance at the bed) No thanks. Never mind. What was I saying?

Mlle Skunk When you were the director …

Dr Piouk Ah yes. When I was the director of the Saint-Vitus asylum in the Haute-Marne, every day, or rather every other day, I used to see a lunatic of Romanian origin who believed himself to be suffering from … (He glances at Mlle Skunk, lowers his voice.) from syphilis. Do I need to say that he wasn’t?

Glazier Of course you need to say it.

Dr Piouk Every time, in despairing tones, he asked me whether I had brought him the poison. The poison? I would say, what poison, my friend, and what for? To put an end to my torture, he would reply. But, my dear friend, if you are absolutely determined to put an end to your torture, you have everything you need at your disposal. Three times a day you eat in the refectory, surrounded by plates, cups, forks and even knives – enough to put an end to a thousand tortures. Then he would become angry, and say that it was incumbent upon me, as his doctor, and not upon him, to put an end to his torture. But what torture, actually? I would say. There is nothing the matter with you. Fourteen doctors have examined you completely independently and found nothing wrong with you. But there is, there is, he would reply, I’ve got … ahem … (same business as before) syphilis, and it’s your duty to do away with me. And that was how our conversations ended, always in exactly the same way. (pause) Until the day when I took him the poison he demanded.

Silence.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.