JANNINGS
I’m just wondering.
(Pause.)
GEORGE
And how did it go on?
JANNINGS
We ordered kidneys flambé.
GEORGE
And you got them?
JANNINGS
Of course.
GEORGE
And asked for the check and got it?
JANNINGS
Naturally.
GEORGE
And asked for the coats and got them?
JANNINGS
Why the coats?
GEORGE
Because it was a winter evening.
JANNINGS
(Relieved) Of course.
GEORGE
And then?
JANNINGS
We went home.
(Both laugh with relief. Pause.)
GEORGE
Only one thing I don’t understand. Of what significance is the winter evening to the story? There was no need to mention it, was there? (JANNINGS closes his eyes and thinks.) Are you asleep?
JANNINGS
(Opens his eyes.) Yes, that was it! You asked me whether I was dreaming and I told you how long I sleep during winter nights and that I then begin to dream toward morning, and as an example I wanted to tell you a dream that might occur during a winter night.
GEORGE
Might occur?
JANNINGS
I invented the dream. As I said, it was only an example. The sort of thing that goes through one’s head … As I said — a story …
GEORGE
But the kidneys flambé?
JANNINGS
Have you ever had kidneys flambé?
GEORGE
No. Not that I know.
JANNINGS
If you don’t know, then you haven’t had them.
GEORGE
No.
JANNINGS
You’re disagreeing with me?
GEORGE
Yes, that is: no. That is: yes, I agree with you.
JANNINGS
In other words, when you mention kidneys flambé, you talk about something you know nothing about.
GEORGE
That’s what I wanted to say.
JANNINGS
And about something one doesn’t know, one shouldn’t talk, isn’t that so?
GEORGE
Indeed.
(JANNING makes the appropriate gesture with his hand, turning up his palm in the process. GEORGE stares at it, and under the impression that GEORGE has found something on the palm JANNINGS leaves it like that. The hand now looks as if it is waiting for something; say, for the cigar box. After what has been said just now the hand has the effect of an invitation, so that GEORGE bends down and puts the box in JANNINGS’ s hand.
A brief pause, as if JANNINGS had expected something else. Then he takes the box with his other hand and puts it on his knee. He looks at his hand, which is still extended.)
JANNINGS
That’s not what I meant to say with that. It just seemed to me that you had noticed something on my hand. (He opens the box top with his other hand and offers the box to GEORGE, who looks inside.) Take one.
(GEORGE quickly takes a cigar. JANNINGS takes one too. GEORGE takes the box from JANNINGS and puts it back on the table. Each lights his own cigar. Both lean back and smoke.)
GEORGE
Haven’t you noticed anything?
JANNINGS
Speak. (Pause.) Please, go ahead and speak.
GEORGE
Didn’t you notice how silly everything suddenly became when we began to talk about kidneys flambé? No, not so much suddenly as gradually, the more often we mentioned the kidneys flambé. Kidneys flambé, kidneys flambé, kidneys flambé! And didn’t it strike you why the kidneys flambé gradually made everything so hair-raisingly silly?
(Pause.)
JANNINGS
Speak.
GEORGE
Because we spoke about something that wasn’t visible at the time. Because we mentioned something that wasn’t there at the time! And do you know how I happened to notice this?
(Pause.)
JANNINGS
Speak.
GEORGE
When you made that motion with your hand two minutes ago—
JANNINGS
(Interrupts him.) Two minutes have passed since then?
GEORGE
It may also have been earlier. In any case — what was I about to say?
JANNINGS
When I made that motion with my hand …
GEORGE
When you made that motion with your hand, I suddenly noticed the rings on your fingers and thought to myself: ah, rings! Look at that, rings! Indeed: rings! And then I saw the rings again, and when what I thought and what I saw coincided so magically, I was so happy for a moment that I couldn’t help but put the cigar box in your hand. And only then I noticed how ridiculous I had seemed to myself speaking all that time about kidneys flambé! I wasn’t even myself any more, my hairs rose on end when I spoke about them. And only when I saw the rings and thought: ah, the rings! and then cast a second glance at the rings, then it seemed to me that I was no longer confused.
JANNINGS
And I felt you were handing me the box voluntarily.
GEORGE
Do you understand me?
JANNINGS
From a human point of view, yes.
GEORGE
Take a look around. (They take a look around the room.) Car. (They hesitate a little, continue looking around the room.) Cattle prod. (They hesitate, continue looking around the room.) Bloodhounds. (They look around the room, hesitate.) Swollen bellies. (Only JANNINGS looks around the room, hesitates.) Trigger button.
JANNINGS
(Quickly looks at GEORGE.) You’re right, let’s talk about my rings!
GEORGE
There’s nothing left to say about the rings. (JANNINGS remains silent.) It’s meaningless.
JANNINGS
I?
GEORGE
Your rings.
JANNINGS
And?
GEORGE
(Irritated) “And” what?
JANNINGS
(Irritated) And? (Pause. The pause becomes increasingly laden with animosity. Both smoke. When they notice that they are simultaneously drawing on their cigars, they stop and hold their breath. When one of them wants to blow out smoke, he notices that the other is just about to exhale and he hesitates; only then does he emit the smoke from his mouth. JANNINGS suddenly, in a very friendly manner) And if they were your rings?