Harold Pinter Plays 2 Read Free Page A

good.
    DAVIES. You know what that bastard monk said to me? (He looks over to the shoes. )I think those’d be a bit small.
    ASTON. Would they?
    DAVIES. No, don’t look the right size.
    ASTON. Not bad trim.
    DAVIES. Can’t wear shoes that don’t fit. Nothing worse. I said to this monk, here, I said, look here, mister, he opened the door, big door, he opened it, look here, mister, I said, I come all the way down here, look, I said, I showed him these, I said, you haven’t got a pair of shoes, have you, a pair of shoes, I said, enough to keep me on my way. Look at these, they’re nearly out, I said, they’re no good to me. I heard you got a stock of shoes here. Piss off, he said to me. Now look here, I said, I’m an old man, you can’t talk to me like that, I don’t care who you are. If you don’t piss off, he says, I’ll kick you all the way to the gate. Now look here, I said, now wait a minute, all I’m asking for is a pair of shoes, you don’t want to start taking liberties with me, it’s taken me three days to get here, I said to him, three days without a bite, I’m worth a bite to eat, en I? Get out round the corner to the kitchen, he says, get out round the corner, and when you’ve had your meal, piss off out of it. I went round to this kitchen, see? Meal they give me! A bird, I tell you, a littlebird, a little tiny bird, he could have ate it in under two minutes. Right, they said to me, you’ve had your meal, get off out of it. Meal? I said, what do you think I am, a dog? Nothing better than a dog. What do you think I am, a wild animal? What about them shoes I come all the way here to get I heard you was giving away? I’ve a good mind to report you to your mother superior. One of them, an Irish hooligan, come at me. I cleared out. I took a short cut to Watford and picked up a pair there. Got onto the North Circular, just past Hendon, the sole come off, right where I was walking. Lucky I had my old ones wrapped up, still carrying them, otherwise I’d have been finished, man. So I’ve had to stay with these, you see, they’re gone, they’re no good, all the good’s gone out of them.
    ASTON. Try these.
    DAVIES takes the shoes, takes off his sandals and tries them on.
    DAVIES. Not a bad pair of shoes. ( He trudges round the room. ) They’re strong, all right. Yes. Not a bad shape of shoe. This leather’s hardy, en’t? Very hardy. Some bloke tried to flog me some suede the other day. I wouldn’t wear them. Can’t beat leather, for wear. Suede goes off, it creases, it stains for life in five minutes. You can’t beat leather. Yes. Good shoe this.
    ASTON. Good.
    DAVIES waggles his feet.
    DAVIES. Don’t fit though.
    ASTON. Oh?
    DAVIES. No. I got a very broad foot.
    ASTON. Mmnn.
    DAVIES. These are too pointed, you see.
    ASTON. Ah.
    DAVIES. They’d cripple me in a week. I mean these ones I goton, they’re no good but at least they’re comfortable. Not much cop, but I mean they don’t hurt. (He takes them off and gives them back). Thanks anyway, mister.
    ASTON. I’ll see what I can look out for you.
    DAVIES. Good luck. I can’t go on like this. Can’t get from one place to another. And I’ll have to be moving about, you see, try to get fixed up.
    ASTON. Where you going to go?
    DAVIES. Oh, I got one or two things in mind. I’m waiting for the weather to break.
    Pause.
    ASTON (attending to the toaster). Would … would you like to sleep here?
    DAVIES. Here?
    ASTON. You can sleep here if you like.
    DAVIES. Here? Oh, I don’t know about that.
    Pause.
    How long for?
    ASTON. Till you … get yourself fixed up.
    DAVIES ( sitting ).Ay well, that.…
    ASTON. Get yourself sorted out.…
    DAVIES. Oh, I’ll be fixed up … pretty soon now.…
    Pause.
    Where would I sleep?
    ASTON. Here. The other rooms would … would be no good to you.
    DAVIES (rising, looking about). Here? Where?
    ASTON (rising, pointing upstage right). There’s a bed behind all that.
    DAVIES. Oh, I see. Well, that’s handy. Well,