The Magic Tower and Other One-Act Plays by Tennessee Williams Page B

Yes, tell her that!
    DR. FRELICH : You must put these fears out of your mind—your husband is safe, perfectly safe! Do you understand?
    VASHYA : Yes!
    LADY SHONTINE : Yes. He is much TOO safe. That is why the soldiers, the dead ones, keep coming back here to see him. They think he is much TOO SAFE!
    VASHYA : There—you see!
    DR. FRELICH : If we could talk for a while . . .
    PHILLIP : Beg pardon, Sir. The Prime Minister wishes to see you.
    VASHYA [
with satisfaction
]: Tell him to wait!
    PHILLIP : Yes, Sir.
    DR. FRELICH [
in surprise
]: The Prime Minister—Lord Huntington?
    VASHYA : Yes, he comes to see me—Vashya ! I told him that I couldn’t go out so he comes here to see me. I don’t go out very much anymore.
    LADY SHONTINE : No, he’s afraid to go out.
    VASHYA : Afraid? Ridiculous!
    DR. FRELICH : You must understand, Lady Shontine, that your husband is a very valuable man to his country. His life must be safeguarded at all costs to his personal convenience.
    LADY SHONTINE : Yes. He is the national butcher.
    VASHYA [
distractedly
]: Stop! She’s got to stop saying those things! What will people think if they—?
    LADY SHONTINE : They know. It isn’t a secret anymore. The dead men have told them all. They’ve spread the whole story abroad, they’ve shouted it from the rooftops, Vashya. Your name—the national butcher—the butcher of the world! And they won’t stop, Vashya, you can’t make them stop, you can’t—!
    VASHYA : Hush, damn you!
    DR. FRELICH : Sir Vashya!
    LADY SHONTINE [
in a frenzy
]: No, they won’t stop! They’ll comeback for you again tonight and tomorrow night and the night after that! And finally they’ll get you! Yes! YOU SHALL MARCH TO THE FRONT WITH THEM, VASHYA!!
    VASHYA : Get out of here, you! Get out of here! [
With difficulty he controls himself
.] Excuse me, Doctor. I forget sometimes. I’m just a peasant at heart, and she—she drives me crazy! Why do I have to be tortured at a time like this by a woman that’s out of her senses? Doctor, if you can cure her I’ll pay you fifty thousand. Do you hear? A hundred thousand! Only bring her back to her senses. . . .
    DR. FRELICH : I can talk to her now, if you wish.
    VASHYA : Yes. Take her out of here. The next room. In there.
    DR. FRELICH : Will you come, Lady Shontine?
    LADY SHONTINE : Yes, Doctor. You have kind eyes. Yes, I’ll go.
    VASHYA : Remember, Doctor, whatever she says—the woman is out of her mind. [
A pause as they exit
.] Show Lord Huntington in.
    PHILLIP : Yes, sir.
    LORD HUNTINGTON : Sir Vashya.
    VASHYA : I’m glad you’ve come. PHILLIP! Search him. [
Phillip frisks him
.]
    LORD HUNTINGTON : Is this customary?
    VASHYA : Yes. We make no exceptions. You may go, Phillip! Where’s the rest of ‘em?
    LORD HUNTINGTON : The cabinet will come a little later. I wanted to talk to you first privately.
    VASHYA : Yes?
    LORD HUNTINGTON : Sir Vashya, we’re entering the sixth year of the war.
    VASHYA : Yes?
    LORD HUNTINGTON : It’s gone on and on. Our country’s exhausted. So are all the others. The thing has got to stop!
    VASHYA : So?
    LORD HUNTINGTON [
pausing
]: I’ve come to you.
    VASHYA : To me?
    LORD HUNTINGTON : Yes, to you.
    VASHYA : Well, that’s very flattering. In the next room, Lord Huntington, is an eminent mental specialist. He’s visiting my wife. She’s been having hallucinations lately. I recommend him highly. Perhaps he could be of benefit in your case.
    LORD HUNTINGTON [
with hardly-controlled fury
]: It’s well known, Sir Vashya, how you’ve treated your wife.
    VASHYA : Meaning?
    LORD HUNTINGTON : Meaning it doesn’t become you very well as a—gentleman—to be flippant at her expense.
    VASHYA : Huh! You aristocrats stick together against me, eh? Me, Vashya, the peasant! You even presume to tell me how I should manage my wife.
    LORD HUNTINGTON : Be careful!
    VASHYA : Careful? I’ve never been careful. Why should I be careful with you? I could grind you under my heel! But why do I let myself