curled on a sofa, still.
ANNA standing at the window, looking out.
Silence
Lights up on Deeley and Kate, smoking cigarettes.
Anna’s figure remains still in dim light at the window.
KATE ( Reflectively. ) Dark.
Pause
DEELEY Fat or thin?
KATE Fuller than me. I think.
Pause
DEELEY She was then?
KATE I think so.
DEELEY She may not be now.
Pause
Was she your best friend?
KATE Oh, what does that mean?
DEELEY What?
KATE The word friend . . . when you look back . . . all that time.
DEELEY Can’t you remember what you felt?
Pause
KATE It is a very long time.
DEELEY But you remember her. She remembers you. Or why would she be coming here tonight?
KATE I suppose because she remembers me.
Pause
DEELEY Did you think of her as your best friend?
KATE She was my only friend.
DEELEY Your best and only.
KATE My one and only.
Pause
If you have only one of something you can’t say it’s the best of anything.
DEELEY Because you have nothing to compare it with?
KATE Mmnn.
Pause
DEELEY ( Smiling. ) She was incomparable.
KATE Oh, I’m sure she wasn’t.
Pause
DEELEY I didn’t know you had so few friends.
KATE I had none. None at all. Except her.
DEELEY Why her?
KATE I don’t know.
Pause
She was a thief. She used to steal things.
DEELEY Who from?
KATE Me.
DEELEY What things?
KATE Bits and pieces. Underwear.
Deeley chuckles.
DEELEY Will you remind her?
KATE Oh . . . I don’t think so.
Pause
DEELEY Is that what attracted you to her?
KATE What?
DEELEY The fact that she was a thief.
KATE No.
Pause
DEELEY Are you looking forward to seeing her?
KATE No.
DEELEY I am. I shall be very interested.
KATE In what?
DEELEY In you. I’ll be watching you.
KATE Me? Why?
DEELEY To see if she’s the same person.
KATE You think you’ll find that out through me?
DEELEY Definitely.
Pause
KATE I hardly remember her. I’ve almost totally forgotten her.
Pause
DEELEY Any idea what she drinks?
KATE None.
DEELEY She may be a vegetarian.
KATE Ask her.
DEELEY It’s too late. You’ve cooked your casserole.
Pause
Why isn’t she married? I mean, why isn’t she bringing her husband?
KATE Ask her.
DEELEY Do I have to ask her everything?
KATE Do you want me to ask your questions for you?
DEELEY No. Not at all.
Pause
KATE Of course she’s married.
DEELEY How do you know?
KATE Everyone’s married.
DEELEY Then why isn’t she bringing her husband?
KATE Isn’t she?
Pause
DEELEY Did she mention a husband in her letter?
KATE No.
DEELEY What do you think he’d be like? I mean, what sort of man would she have married? After all, she was your best—youronly—friend. You must have some idea. What kind of man would he be?
KATE I have no idea.
DEELEY Haven’t you any curiosity?
KATE You forget. I know her.
DEELEY You haven’t seen her for twenty years.
KATE You’ve never seen her. There’s a difference.
Pause
DEELEY At least the casserole is big enough for four.
KATE You said she was a vegetarian.
Pause
DEELEY Did she have many friends?
KATE Oh . . . The normal amount, I suppose.
DEELEY Normal? What’s normal? You had none.
KATE One.
DEELEY Is that normal?
Pause
She . . . had quite a lot of friends, did she?
KATE Hundreds.
DEELEY You met them?
KATE Not all, I think. But after all, we were living together. There were visitors, from time to time. I met them.
DEELEY Her visitors?
KATE What?
DEELEY Her visitors. Her friends. You had no friends.
KATE Her friends, yes.
DEELEY You met them.
Pause
( Abruptly. ) You lived together?
KATE Mmmnn?
DEELEY You lived together?
KATE Of course.
DEELEY I didn’t know that.
KATE Didn’t you?
DEELEY You never told me that. I thought you just knew each other.
KATE We did.
DEELEY But in fact you lived with each other.
KATE Of course we did. How else would she steal my underwear from me? In the street?
Pause
DEELEY I knew you had shared with someone at onetime . . .
Pause
But I didn’t know it was her.
KATE Of course
ANNA standing at the window, looking out.
Silence
Lights up on Deeley and Kate, smoking cigarettes.
Anna’s figure remains still in dim light at the window.
KATE ( Reflectively. ) Dark.
Pause
DEELEY Fat or thin?
KATE Fuller than me. I think.
Pause
DEELEY She was then?
KATE I think so.
DEELEY She may not be now.
Pause
Was she your best friend?
KATE Oh, what does that mean?
DEELEY What?
KATE The word friend . . . when you look back . . . all that time.
DEELEY Can’t you remember what you felt?
Pause
KATE It is a very long time.
DEELEY But you remember her. She remembers you. Or why would she be coming here tonight?
KATE I suppose because she remembers me.
Pause
DEELEY Did you think of her as your best friend?
KATE She was my only friend.
DEELEY Your best and only.
KATE My one and only.
Pause
If you have only one of something you can’t say it’s the best of anything.
DEELEY Because you have nothing to compare it with?
KATE Mmnn.
Pause
DEELEY ( Smiling. ) She was incomparable.
KATE Oh, I’m sure she wasn’t.
Pause
DEELEY I didn’t know you had so few friends.
KATE I had none. None at all. Except her.
DEELEY Why her?
KATE I don’t know.
Pause
She was a thief. She used to steal things.
DEELEY Who from?
KATE Me.
DEELEY What things?
KATE Bits and pieces. Underwear.
Deeley chuckles.
DEELEY Will you remind her?
KATE Oh . . . I don’t think so.
Pause
DEELEY Is that what attracted you to her?
KATE What?
DEELEY The fact that she was a thief.
KATE No.
Pause
DEELEY Are you looking forward to seeing her?
KATE No.
DEELEY I am. I shall be very interested.
KATE In what?
DEELEY In you. I’ll be watching you.
KATE Me? Why?
DEELEY To see if she’s the same person.
KATE You think you’ll find that out through me?
DEELEY Definitely.
Pause
KATE I hardly remember her. I’ve almost totally forgotten her.
Pause
DEELEY Any idea what she drinks?
KATE None.
DEELEY She may be a vegetarian.
KATE Ask her.
DEELEY It’s too late. You’ve cooked your casserole.
Pause
Why isn’t she married? I mean, why isn’t she bringing her husband?
KATE Ask her.
DEELEY Do I have to ask her everything?
KATE Do you want me to ask your questions for you?
DEELEY No. Not at all.
Pause
KATE Of course she’s married.
DEELEY How do you know?
KATE Everyone’s married.
DEELEY Then why isn’t she bringing her husband?
KATE Isn’t she?
Pause
DEELEY Did she mention a husband in her letter?
KATE No.
DEELEY What do you think he’d be like? I mean, what sort of man would she have married? After all, she was your best—youronly—friend. You must have some idea. What kind of man would he be?
KATE I have no idea.
DEELEY Haven’t you any curiosity?
KATE You forget. I know her.
DEELEY You haven’t seen her for twenty years.
KATE You’ve never seen her. There’s a difference.
Pause
DEELEY At least the casserole is big enough for four.
KATE You said she was a vegetarian.
Pause
DEELEY Did she have many friends?
KATE Oh . . . The normal amount, I suppose.
DEELEY Normal? What’s normal? You had none.
KATE One.
DEELEY Is that normal?
Pause
She . . . had quite a lot of friends, did she?
KATE Hundreds.
DEELEY You met them?
KATE Not all, I think. But after all, we were living together. There were visitors, from time to time. I met them.
DEELEY Her visitors?
KATE What?
DEELEY Her visitors. Her friends. You had no friends.
KATE Her friends, yes.
DEELEY You met them.
Pause
( Abruptly. ) You lived together?
KATE Mmmnn?
DEELEY You lived together?
KATE Of course.
DEELEY I didn’t know that.
KATE Didn’t you?
DEELEY You never told me that. I thought you just knew each other.
KATE We did.
DEELEY But in fact you lived with each other.
KATE Of course we did. How else would she steal my underwear from me? In the street?
Pause
DEELEY I knew you had shared with someone at onetime . . .
Pause
But I didn’t know it was her.
KATE Of course