The lid inclines a little, slides scratching the casing edge and finally bumps upon the ground, which makes Mister Joseph and Cathy fall down on their elbows. They look, amazed, at each other and simultaneously dash to the casing to look inside the well. But the flashlight cannot reach very deep in there except revealing a range of frame shaped iron steps, equally spaced, embedded in the wall, going downward. Cathy listens delightedly to the "heartbeat" that can now be heard very distinctly, having here the reverberation of an empty space.
Mister Joseph takes the flashlight from her hand and tries to see the bottom of the well. He bends more and more, filling with his body almost the entire well mouth, so that Cathy cannot look inside.
After a while, Mister Joseph rises and sits on the edge of the casing. He looks exhausted.
MISTER JOSEPH
Please, dear young lady, let me a few moments to come to. I stood bent over and the blood rushed to my head.
In a protecting enthusiasm, Cathy sticks to Mister Joseph, her arms around his neck.
CATHY
I'll let you rest, Mister Joseph. You can stay and rest as long as you wish.
Mister Joseph twists and looks again back into the well.
MISTER JOSEPH
I'm wondering what's the use of those staples.
CATHY
I think they are not staples, Mister Joseph.
MISTER JOSEPH
(sharply)
You know what, dear young lady? I'm not interested in your opinion! Period! It's true that throughout my long and tumultuous life I've never traded staples but everybody knows they call staples those rusted iron pieces laid under one another... (Pause; Mister Joseph doesn't seem very sure of what he just said.) ...Then, what are those rusted iron pieces if not staples, in your opinion? I would be highly interested to find out.
CATHY
I think they are steps.
MISTER JOSEPH
(doubtfully)
Hem! — Well, if those rusted iron pieces are what you think they are, then what would be the use of steps in this well the bottom of which, I take the risk to say, one can't even see?
CATHY
I can't say that.
MISTER JOSEPH
Of course! You can't say that! Instead, you have lots of opinions, as I can see! (In a professional tone.) Dear young lady, steps or staples, it makes no difference to me. Please take the bottle of beer and let's get out of here. I don't know whether I told you but I have a lot of work to do this evening.
Mister Joseph is about to rise from upon the casing edge. Cathy catches his hand looking beseechingly up into his eyes.
MISTER JOSEPH
What's now, missy?
Cathy holds his hand and keeps looking at him beseechingly.
MISTER JOSEPH
Stop holding my hand, please! What's crossing your mind? — (Indicating to the well.) You can't wish to...!
Cathy frenetically nods: yes, and keeps holding his hand. She releases it only when Mister Joseph sighs and nods with resignation.
MISTER JOSEPH
Dear young lady, I hope you know what are you doing! I take no responsibility. It's your business!
Cathy claps her palms with joy.
CATHY
(ardently)
Mister Joseph, I'll follow you everywhere!
MISTER JOSEPH
(coldly)
Oh, no, dear young lady! If one of us has to follow the other one, then I am to follow you. (He gestures to the well mouth.) Please.
CATHY
(a little scared and confused)
Wouldn't you better go down first?
MISTER JOSEPH
Oh, no! No way, dear young lady! You had the idea — you have the primacy. This principle I denied never throughout my long and tumultuous life, even when it brought me but troubles. Because it matches everywhere but trading. And nevertheless I defied it never, mind you! Please go down!
CATHY
Yet, Mister Joseph, what about defying your principle just once? Nothing but once.
MISTER JOSEPH
No, missy!
CATHY
I beg you.
MISTER JOSEPH
I don't want even hear about that!
Cathy lowers her head, while Mister Joseph watches her out of the corner of his eyes, in mock coldness.
MISTER JOSEPH
...Unless, maybe... We could negotiate if you insist very much.
CATHY
I insist very much, Mister Joseph!
MISTER JOSEPH
Well, if you insist that much, dear young lady... What could I do? That was my entire lifetime principle: to give up when someone insists very much. So, let's proceed. Mister Joseph begins getting into the well. but that implies many attempts as to the way of "technically" tackling this job. He finally succeeds to go down with his both legs in.
MISTER JOSEPH
Nice behavior for a man a little bit aged, so to speak, to go after you and keep getting into all corners!
CATHY
There's only you and me who know.
MISTER JOSEPH
I wonder whether those staples...
CATHY
Steps!
MISTER JOSEPH
As you say. Steps! I mean would those staples be possibly safe enough? You know, I'm a rather heavy man.
CATHY
They are safe.
MISTER JOSEPH
Of course! What's that to you? If in the next moment you'll hear a lasting and ever fainter roar, it wouldn't be your roar!
CATHY
(ironically)
This well was made in the old times. They did good work in those times.
Mister Joseph glances disapprovingly at her, then he passes the flashlight to her, which Cathy directs to the well depth. Mister Joseph disappears into the well. And Cathy follows him.
Inside the well, under the unsteady light of the flashlight which Cathy holds. Mister Joseph and Cathy are getting down the iron steps. The "heartbeat" sounds increasingly louder while other sounds like coming from a workshop add to it.
MISTER JOSEPH
(while descending)
I warn you I don't have the least idea where we'll get to and above all how we'll be back. If this well hasn't been drilled for oil extraction, then I need to tell you I don't know for what other purpose it has been drilled. — Please be careful not to step on my hand. I warn you! — And I also warn you that you'll make yourself dirty with oil, even if there is — I could swear — no drop of oil. Eventually your dress, which I forgot to tell you I appreciate very much, will be torn into shreds.
CATHY
But the same will happen to your suit.
MISTER JOSEPH
(who began to pant)
Don't care about my suit, missy. — Anyway it's rather shabby. You better notice, please, that it's getting more and more hot as we're going down and, to tell you the truth, I'm rather tired. So I propose you a little break.
Mister Joseph stops.
CATHY
Certainly, Mister Joseph. What a pity you have no place to sit on.
MISTER JOSEPH
It doesn't matter, missy. You better tell me for how much time you think we have been going down.
CATHY
I don't know, Mister Joseph. I think for some five minutes.
MISTER JOSEPH
(scared, panting)
Oh dear! Do you realize what that means... for a man a little bit aged... so to speak? I wonder... how I'll get out of here!
CATHY
Don't wonder, Mister Joseph. We'll get somehow our way out. Or maybe...
MISTER JOSEPH
(sharply)
Or maybe, what? Could I find out what's crossing your mind?
Cathy doesn't respond.
MISTER JOSEPH
(sorrowfully, after a pause)
I'm sorry for causing you troubles, dear young lady. You shouldn't take me at all, a man a little bit aged, so to speak, with a health pretty much ruined as a result of some rather unpleasant events throughout his long and tumultuous life, and in addition with a lot of bad habits. Yes, missy, don't try to comfort me, because I know what I say. For example, a thought crosses my mind in this very moment, that I was wrong not to take a bottle of beer or two, but how could I know how warm it was to be in this well that leads nowhere?
CATHY
I could go back up and fetch you a beer if you want me to.
MISTER JOSEPH
Don't, missy, I don't deserve your endeavoring so much for me. Your father has sent you down for a bottle of beer, and now you want me to send you up? I can't do that.
CATHY
(after a pause)
Do you think we could go on, Mister Joseph? I mean did you rest enough?
MISTER JOSEPH
(pompously)
Dear young lady, I never gave up before obstacles. Mind you!
Mister Joseph glances reproachfully up at her and begins getting down again.
MISTER JOSEPH
You saw, when my cipher-brother ran with all my money, I didn't give up trading, even I had to confine myself doing it on a lesser scale because my shop undergone the damage you certainly remember of till it fell in total ruin. My shop collapsed, so to speak, but my business didn't! The only thing I regret is that I didn't take more minutely an interest in the way of manufacturing the things which I sold. I'm speaking of a pure technical interest, so to speak. But you can't tell I wasn't eager to. You should know that almost all my spare time — until having the pleasure to meet you, dear young lady — I devoted to technical books. I was interested especially in steam locomotives. But I had the bad luck that steam locomotives aren't in fashion any longer today. You didn't even live during their time, but you can take me at my word that one could seldom meet in the world a nicer thing than a steam locomotive, which used to...
Mister Joseph suddenly stops and raises to Cathy his frightened eyes.
The noise became so blaring that they have to speak louder in order to can hear each other.
MISTER JOSEPH
Pass me the flashlight, will you?
Cathy passes him the flashlight, which Mister Joseph directs downward.
CATHY
What's going on, Mister Joseph? Why did we stop?
MISTER JOSEPH
(who didn't hear her)
What did you say?
CATHY
I've asked you what's going on. Why did we stop?
MISTER JOSEPH
(sententiously)
Dear young lady, I think that's it. We've reached the bottom of the well.
Cathy tries to look down by the side of Mister Joseph's body.
CATHY
What do you see?
MISTER JOSEPH
Here, look, dear young lady.
Mister Joseph presses himself against the wall trying to allow Cathy to look down by his side.
MISTER JOSEPH
...Because as far as I am concerned, I'm afraid I browsed rather shallowly those technical books I just spoke of. I simply can't see where we are. Maybe you'll make a try.
Cathy begins to slip down past him.
Cathy goes down the last iron steps, which are not inside the well any more but on a flat wall, several feet high, black with soot. Cathy reaches a sort of wooden platform, imbued with grease, bounded by simple iron railings.
Mister Joseph gets down too, carefully, following Cathy.
They both scrutinize this rather dark place with interest. Cathy takes the flashlight from Mister Joseph and lights the wall. Its spot slides over the wall and focuses upon a switchboard. Cathy gets to it and switches on the light. Then an end of a huge room appears in a not very bright light, which looks like a workshop except it has no windows and doors. Proud of her deed, Cathy passes the flashlight to Mister Joseph, who turns it off.
They both pace down the room scrutinizing it. Here it is a workshop in all its size and look: huge and old fashioned — late 19th century. Pumps, boilers, tanks, giant valves and cocks, electric motors, huge wheels driven by belts, levers, coupling rods — all is moving making a lot of noise but nobody can be seen. Tubes and pipes of different sizes connect old devices to one another. Some moving vertical rods pass beyond the walls and the ceiling as if there were devices outside and above the "works." Steam under pressure escapes through some flanges and from some valves.
Mister Joseph and Cathy go down the staircase leading from the platform to the workshop floor.
Niciun comentariu:
Trimiteți un comentariu