GEORGE
(Suddenly looks at him in a very friendly manner.) But they are yours! (Pause. They hardly move. The pause becomes increasingly laden with animosity.) But they’re your rings? (Suddenly JANNINGS pulls the rings from his fingers. GEORGE understands, bends forward, spreading his fingers apart. JANNINGS places the rings on the table. GEORGE slips them easily and as though routinely, almost without looking, on his fingers. He regards his hand.) As if they were made for me! (Pause.) As if they had always belonged to me! (Pause.) They were made for me! (Pause.) And they have always belonged to me! (He holds the rings up to the light so that they sparkle. He caresses them and touches each individually with his lips. He plays: points with the ringless hand at something, then points with the ringed hand at the same thing; places the ringless hand on his heart, then places the ringed hand on it; waves someone toward him with a ringless finger, then with a ringed one; threatens someone with a naked finger, then with a ringed one. He is intoxicated by the idea of ownership.) I can’t even imagine my hand without rings any more! I can’t it me — I can’t myself — me myself — myself me — I can’t myself me — I simply can’t imagine myself without rings any more! Can you imagine me without rings? (JANNINGS makes no reply. GEORGE sets out to make a speech.) Expensive rings! Just as you, who are round, know no beginning and no end, in the same way — (He hesitates and begins once more.) And just as you transform the light that strikes you and are changed yourselves by the light, in the same way — (He hesitates. Pause.) In any cause — you elicit similes from me. Since I own you, you mean something to me. (Pause.) To wear rings on every finger — what does that mean? Wealth? Early death? To take care while climbing ladders? Job problems? Watch out, danger!?
(Pause.)
JANNINGS
I’ve never dreamed of rings so far.
GEORGE
Because you never owned any.
(Pause.)
JANNINGS
On the contrary, because I owned some. (Pause.) And they never elicit similes from me.
GEORGE
Because they weren’t enough for you.
(Pause.)
JANNINGS
On the contrary, because they were enough for me.
(Pause.)
GEORGE
Just as …
JANNINGS
What do you mean, “Just — as”?
GEORGE
Bide your time! (He begins once more.) Just as there are born losers, born troublemakers, and born criminals …
JANNINGS
Who says they exist?
GEORGE
I do!
JANNINGS
That doesn’t prove anything.
(Pause.)
GEORGE
Have you ever heard people talk about a “born loser”?
JANNINGS
Frequently.
GEORGE
And have you ever heard the expression “born troublemaker”?
JANNINGS
Indeed.
GEORGE
And the expression “born criminal”?
JANNINGS
Of course.
GEORGE
But the expression “a scurrying snake”—that you have heard quite frequently?
JANNINGS
No, never.
GEORGE
And have you ever heard of a “fiery Eskimo”?
JANNINGS
Not that I know.
GEORGE
If you don’t know it, then you haven’t heard of it either. But the expression “a flying ship”—that you have heard?
JANNINGS
At most in a fairy tale.
GEORGE
But scurrying snakes exist?
JANNINGS
Of course not.
GEORGE
But fiery Eskimos — they exist?
JANNINGS
I can’t imagine it.
GEORGE
But flying ships exist?
JANNINGS
At most in a dream.
GEORGE
Not in reality?
JANNINGS
Not in reality.
(Pause.)
GEORGE
But born losers?
JANNINGS
Consequently, they do exist.
GEORGE
And born troublemakers?
JANNINGS
They exist.
GEORGE
And therefore there are born criminals?
JANNINGS
It’s only logical.
GEORGE
As I wanted to say at the time …
JANNINGS
(Interrupts him.) “At the time”? Has it been that long already?
GEORGE
(Hesitates; astonished) Yes, that’s odd! (Then continues rapidly.) Just as there are born losers, born troublemakers, and born criminals, there are (He spreads his fingers.) born owners. Most people as soon as they own something are not themselves any more. They lose their balance and become ridiculous. Estranged from themselves they begin to squint. Bed wetters who stand next to their bed in the morning. (The bed signifies their possession. Or perhaps their shame?) (Brief moment of confusion, then he continues at once.) I, on the other hand, am a born owner: only when I possess something do I become myself …
JANNINGS
(Interrupts him.) “Born owner”? I’ve never heard that expression.
(Pause.)
GEORGE
(Suddenly) “Life is a game”—you must have heard people say that? (JANNINGS makes no reply, waits.) And a game has winners and losers, right? (JANNINGS makes no reply.) And those who don’t get anything are the losers, and those who can have everything are the winners, right? (JANNINGS makes no reply, only bends forward, opens his mouth, but not to speak.) And do you know the expression “born winner”?
(Silence. Suddenly both burst out laughing and slap each other’s thighs. While they are still doing so, a woman appears above left on the staircase. She is beautiful. She is wearing a long dress in which she moves as though it were carrying her. She has appeared noiselessly and has walked down a few steps. She stops in the middle of the left staircase, puts her hand on the bannister, and turns her head a little: it is ELISABETH BERGNER. Her hands are empty, no handbag.
She observes the strange scene beneath her with lowered eyelids: JANNINGS and GEORGE are busy pulling each other’s ears and patting each other’s cheeks. She moves a few steps farther down and now remains standing, face forward, on the wide center staircase. With lowered eyelids she appears to observe the two below her: JANNINGS is just showing GEORGE the back of his hand; GEORGE replies by making a circle with his thumb and forefinger and then holding his hand in front of his face; and JANNINGS replies to this sign by holding both hands above his head, loosely clasping one wrist with thumb and forefinger of the other hand and letting the clasped hand circle about itself, whereupon both of them burst out laughing once again, and again start slapping each other’s thighs, making exclamations such as “Exactly!” “You guessed it!” Then one of them slowly calms down while the other continues to slap his thighs.