Peter Handke - The Ride Across Lake Constance and Other Plays

BERGNER

Not any more. For a moment — ( Pause .) No. It’s over.

VON STROHEIM

Don’t stop talking, I am afraid to break in when you stop talking. Right now my tenderness for you is so vehement that I want to hit you.

( Pause. He hits her. She stands up. He stares at her. She lets him stare at her .

Abandoning the long rigidity, she moves slowly and walks up and down in front of him. She interrupts her smooth movements now and then to turn jerkily, leans her hand on the hip, stretches herself loosely, lets her arms drop, while moving like this, grazes a number of objects, supports herself everywhere, once swings around to VON STROHEIM, stops in front of him, takes off her necklace. She is standing there as if she has just come through a door and has leaned against it. She strokes him with the necklace and lets it drop into his pocket.)

BERGNER

( Looks at him .) Don’t move! ( He wants to touch her, she stands still, smiling; he hesitates briefly, now touches her neck and wants to pull her toward him; but he is a moment too late, her neck resists him, she shakes off his hand and steps back .) Why don’t you look at me as if you didn’t care?

VON STROHEIM

For that I would have to imagine that you were mine.

BERGNER

Then imagine it.

VON STROHEIM

Where should I begin?

BERGNER

( Points to the guitar .) Does that belong to you? ( She shoves it away contemptuously.)

VON STROHEIM

The longer I look at you, the ghostlier you seem to me.

BERGNER

And with every one of your feelings you describe to me you take a possible feeling away from me.

VON STROHEIM

I’m not describing my feelings for you.

BERGNER

But you’re intimating them. And every time you intimate your love for me, my feelings for you grow duller and I shrivel up. Your feelings move me, but I can’t respond to them, that’s all. At first I loved you, you were so serious. It struck me that usually it can be said only of a child that it is “serious.” Besides ( She laughs .), you had such beautiful eating habits. You really ate beautifully! And when I once said, “I got wet to the skin!” you said, “To your skin!” When I speak of it I almost love you again. ( She embraces him suddenly, but immediately steps back again even farther away.) But I only have to mention that and I become insensitive right away. You talked all the time and I forgot you more and more. Then I was startled and you were still there … A complete stranger, you talked to me with shameless intimacy, as to someone at the end of a movie. Do you understand? I am taboo for you! Suddenly I was taboo for you. Two seconds! Two seconds of pain, that’s what having loved you will mean to me later on. ( Pause .) I’m not disappointed, I’m not sad, I’m only tired of you. ( She moves imperceptibly under her dress .) I have wronged you so much.

VON STROHEIM

Wronged in what way?

BERGNER

The wrong of loving you.

(PORTEN suddenly claps her hands vehemently , GEORGE laughs offensively, VON STROHEIM and BERGNER slowly move away from the spot and begin to walk around aimlessly in different directions. Pause .)

JANNINGS

( Begins telling a story .) A short time ago I saw a stewardess, but an ugly one …

VON STROHEIM

( Interrupts him. ) Let’s talk about something else.

JANNINGS

( Begins another story .) Not long ago I saw a woman standing in the street, not a streetwalker, I must add …

GEORGE

( Interrupts him .) Something else!

JANNINGS

It is less than a week ago that I saw behind a bank counter someone who had a rather long nose. But when I talked to him, it turned out that despite …

PORTEN and BERGNER

( Interrupt him .) Let’s change the subject.

JANNINGS

All right. No more than five minutes had passed when a man in the park approached me. No, not a faggot …

( He is interrupted by a girl who comes onstage from the right, a suitcase in her hand : ALICE KESSLER. She is wearing an afternoon dress and looks as if she had come to this performance by mistake.)

ALICE

( Puts down the suitcase, begins to speak very matter-of-factly .) Is it you? Am I in the right place here? I heard you talking from a distance and came in. The sounds I heard were so inviting, voices and laughter, what is more beautiful than that? What are you showing to each other there, I’d like to see something too. What are you whispering about? I’d like to hear something too. ( She tosses her hat to VON STROHEIM. He is so disconcerted that he turns aside instead of catching it. ) How are you? ( Pause. All of them seem petrified.) How are you?

BERGNER

( Suddenly loosens up and moves. She practices her reply.) Fine? Fine. Fine! We’re fine. Indeed! We’re fine! ( Pause. She tries to talk normally again. ) And how — and how are you?

ALICE

( Answers quite naturally .) I’m fine too. Though my hand is still trembling from carrying that heavy suitcase, and I’m still a little weak in the knees because I’m not used to wearing high-heeled shoes; but I can put up with all that because I’m so happy to see you. What are you doing here?

BERGNER

( Is glad to be able to answer so simply .) We’re talking.

ALICE

And now you don’t know how to go on?

BERGNER

Perhaps. ( She falters .) Yes. Yes!

ALICE

Hello!

BERGNER

Hello!

ALICE

( To the others ) Hello! ( They raise their heads, perplexed. As if awakening, still half asleep, not knowing yet what they are saying, they say one after the other : “Hello!” Then they comprehend what they have said and become lively. The stage light gradually turns into early-morning light again .) What time is it?

(GEORGE nudges JANNINGS in the hip.)

JANNINGS

( As if back to sleep already ) Don’t you have a watch? ( He gives a start. ) “How late is it?” Of course: how late is it? Well, how late is it now? You could have said so right away. ( He opens his pocket watch in front of ALICE.)

ALICE

Thanks! ( He shuts the watch again .)

JANNINGS

( After a pause .) Don’t mention it. ( He spreads his arms wide as if he just found a solution and plays with the answer.) Don’t mention it! ( To GEORGE) Ask me what time it is.

GEORGE

( Merrily ) What time is it? (JANNINGS shows him the pocket watch. ) Thanks!

JANNINGS

( Shuts the watch .) Don’t mention it.

GEORGE

( Merrily ) Thanks!

JANNINGS

( Cheerfully ) But I insist: don’t mention it!

(ALICE holds out her hand to JANNINGS. He shakes it instantly. She also holds out her hand to GEORGE and he shakes it instantly. She holds out her hand to PORTEN and PORTEN shakes it gratefully. VON STROHEIM understands too and takes her hand.

Now she takes off her gloves and everyone watches very inquisitively. She hands them to VON STROHEIM and he takes them. He now picks up the hat and tosses it playfully to GEORGE. GEORGE catches the hat and puts it on the table . VON STROHEIM adds the gloves to it. Everything is working well. BERGNER sits down, apparently relieved .)

ALICE

(To VON STROHEIM) What do you have there in your hand?

VON STROHEIM

( Opens his fist .) A necklace. Yes, a necklace!