saw.
JOHN . What about our homework, Dad? We've got to write an essay about the Middle Ages.
DISSON . Never mind the Middle Ages.
JOHN . Never mind the Middle Ages ?
TOM. Can't you demonstrate how to do it, Dad? Then we could watch.
DISSON . Oh, give me it.
DISSON takes the saw and points to a mark on the wood .
Now . . . from here.
TOM ( pointing ). You said from here.
DISSON . No, no, from here.
JOHN ( pointing to the other end ). I could have sworn you said from there.
Pause.
DISSON . Go to your room.
Pause.
Get out.
JOHN goes out . DISSON looks at TOM.
Do you want to learn anything?
TOM. Yes.
DISSON . Where did I say I was going to saw it?
He stares at the wood . TOM holds it still .
Hold it still. Hold it. Don't let it move.
DISSON saws. The saw is very near TOM’S fingers . TOM looks down tensely . DISSON saws through .
TOM. You nearly cut my fingers off.
DISSON . No, I didn't . . . I didn't . . .
He glares suddenly at TOM.
You didn't hold the wood still!
Disson’s office.
The curtains are drawn.
DISSON . Come here. Put your chiffon round my eyes. My eyes hurt.
WENDY ties a chiffon scarf round his eyes .
I want you to make a call to Newcastle, to Mr Martin. We're still waiting for delivery of goods on Invoice No. 634729. What is the cause for delay?
WENDY picks up the telephone, dials, waits .
WENDY . Could I have Newcastle 77254, please. Thank you.
She waits. He touches her body .
Yes, I'm holding.
He touches her. She moves under his touch.
Hullo, Mr Martin, please. Mr Disson's office.
Camera on him. His arm stretching .
Mr Martin? Mr Disson's office. Mr Disson . . . Ah, you know what it's about. ( She laughs .) Yes . . . Yes.
Camera on him. He leans forward, his arm stretching .
Oh, it's been dispatched? Oh good. Mr Disson will be glad.
She moves under his touch.
Oh, I will. Of course I will.
She puts the phone down. He withdraws his hand .
Mr Martin sends his apologies. The order has been dispatched.
The intercom buzzes. She switches through. WILLY’S voice .
Yes?
WILLY . Oh, Wendy, is Mr Disson there?
WENDY . Did you want to speak to him, Mr Torrance?
WILLY . No. Just ask him if I might borrow your services for five minutes.
WENDY . Mr Torrance wants to know if he might borrow my services for five minutes.
DISSON . What's happened to his own secretary?
WENDY . Mr Disson would like to know what has happened to your own secretary.
WILLY . She's unwell. Gone home. Just five minutes, that's all.
DISSON gestures towards the door .
WENDY . Be with you in a minute, Mr Torrance.
WILLY . Please thank Mr Disson for me.
The intercom switches off .
WENDY . Mr Torrance would like me to thank you for him.
DISSON . I heard.
WENDY goes through the inner door into WILLY’S office, shuts it.
Silence.
DISSON sits still, the chiffon round his eyes. He looks towards the door.
He hears giggles, hissing, gurgles, squeals.
He goes to the door, squats by the handle, raises the chiffon, tries to look through the keyhole. Can see nothing through the keyhole. He drops the chiffon, puts his ear to the door.
The handle presses into his skull. The sounds continue.
Sudden silence.
The door has opened.
A pair of woman's legs stand by his squatting body. He freezes, slowly puts forward a hand, touches a leg. He tears the chiffon from his eyes. It hangs from his neck. He looks up.
DIANA looks down at him.
Behind her, in the other room, WENDY is sitting, taking dictation from WILLY , who is standing .
DIANA . What game is this?
He remains.
Get up. What are you doing? What are you doing with that scarf? Get up from the floor. What are you doing?
DISSON . Looking for something.
DIANA . What?
WILLY walks to the door, smiles, closes the door.
What were you looking for? Get up.
DISSON ( standing ). Don't speak to me like that. How dare you speak to me like that? I'll knock your teeth out.
She covers her face.
What were you doing in there? I thought you'd gone home.
What
JOHN . What about our homework, Dad? We've got to write an essay about the Middle Ages.
DISSON . Never mind the Middle Ages.
JOHN . Never mind the Middle Ages ?
TOM. Can't you demonstrate how to do it, Dad? Then we could watch.
DISSON . Oh, give me it.
DISSON takes the saw and points to a mark on the wood .
Now . . . from here.
TOM ( pointing ). You said from here.
DISSON . No, no, from here.
JOHN ( pointing to the other end ). I could have sworn you said from there.
Pause.
DISSON . Go to your room.
Pause.
Get out.
JOHN goes out . DISSON looks at TOM.
Do you want to learn anything?
TOM. Yes.
DISSON . Where did I say I was going to saw it?
He stares at the wood . TOM holds it still .
Hold it still. Hold it. Don't let it move.
DISSON saws. The saw is very near TOM’S fingers . TOM looks down tensely . DISSON saws through .
TOM. You nearly cut my fingers off.
DISSON . No, I didn't . . . I didn't . . .
He glares suddenly at TOM.
You didn't hold the wood still!
Disson’s office.
The curtains are drawn.
DISSON . Come here. Put your chiffon round my eyes. My eyes hurt.
WENDY ties a chiffon scarf round his eyes .
I want you to make a call to Newcastle, to Mr Martin. We're still waiting for delivery of goods on Invoice No. 634729. What is the cause for delay?
WENDY picks up the telephone, dials, waits .
WENDY . Could I have Newcastle 77254, please. Thank you.
She waits. He touches her body .
Yes, I'm holding.
He touches her. She moves under his touch.
Hullo, Mr Martin, please. Mr Disson's office.
Camera on him. His arm stretching .
Mr Martin? Mr Disson's office. Mr Disson . . . Ah, you know what it's about. ( She laughs .) Yes . . . Yes.
Camera on him. He leans forward, his arm stretching .
Oh, it's been dispatched? Oh good. Mr Disson will be glad.
She moves under his touch.
Oh, I will. Of course I will.
She puts the phone down. He withdraws his hand .
Mr Martin sends his apologies. The order has been dispatched.
The intercom buzzes. She switches through. WILLY’S voice .
Yes?
WILLY . Oh, Wendy, is Mr Disson there?
WENDY . Did you want to speak to him, Mr Torrance?
WILLY . No. Just ask him if I might borrow your services for five minutes.
WENDY . Mr Torrance wants to know if he might borrow my services for five minutes.
DISSON . What's happened to his own secretary?
WENDY . Mr Disson would like to know what has happened to your own secretary.
WILLY . She's unwell. Gone home. Just five minutes, that's all.
DISSON gestures towards the door .
WENDY . Be with you in a minute, Mr Torrance.
WILLY . Please thank Mr Disson for me.
The intercom switches off .
WENDY . Mr Torrance would like me to thank you for him.
DISSON . I heard.
WENDY goes through the inner door into WILLY’S office, shuts it.
Silence.
DISSON sits still, the chiffon round his eyes. He looks towards the door.
He hears giggles, hissing, gurgles, squeals.
He goes to the door, squats by the handle, raises the chiffon, tries to look through the keyhole. Can see nothing through the keyhole. He drops the chiffon, puts his ear to the door.
The handle presses into his skull. The sounds continue.
Sudden silence.
The door has opened.
A pair of woman's legs stand by his squatting body. He freezes, slowly puts forward a hand, touches a leg. He tears the chiffon from his eyes. It hangs from his neck. He looks up.
DIANA looks down at him.
Behind her, in the other room, WENDY is sitting, taking dictation from WILLY , who is standing .
DIANA . What game is this?
He remains.
Get up. What are you doing? What are you doing with that scarf? Get up from the floor. What are you doing?
DISSON . Looking for something.
DIANA . What?
WILLY walks to the door, smiles, closes the door.
What were you looking for? Get up.
DISSON ( standing ). Don't speak to me like that. How dare you speak to me like that? I'll knock your teeth out.
She covers her face.
What were you doing in there? I thought you'd gone home.
What
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