The Iceman Cometh Read Online Free PDF Page A

door right now!
    WILLIE
    Suddenly yells in his nightmare .
    It’s a God-damned lie!
    He begins to sob .
    Oh, Papa! Jesus!
    All the occupants of the room stir on their chairs but none of them wakes up except HOPE .
    ROCKY
    Grabs his shoulder and shakes him .
    Hey, you! Nix! Cut out de noise! willie
    opens his eyes to stare around him with a bewildered horror .
    HOPE
    Opens one eye to peer over his spectacles — drowsily .
    Who’s that yelling?
    ROCKY
    Willie, Boss. De Brooklyn boys is after him.
    HOPE
    Querulously .
    Well, why don’t you give the poor feller a drink and keep him quiet?
    Bejees, can’t I get a wink of sleep in my own back room?
    ROCKY
    Indignantly to LARRY .
    Listen to that blind-eyed, deef old bastard, will yuh? He give me strict orders not to let Willie hang up no more drinks, no matter—
    HOPE
    Mechanically puts a hand to his ear in the gesture of deafness .
    What’s that? I can’t hear you.
    Then drowsily irascible .
    You’re a cockeyed liar. Never refused a drink to anyone needed it bad in my life! Told you to use your judgment. Ought to know better. You’re too busy thinking up ways to cheat me. Oh, I ain’t as blind as you think. I can still see a cash register, bejees!
    ROCKY
    Grins at him affectionately now — flatteringly .
    Sure, Boss. Swell chance of foolin’ you!
    HOPE
    I’m wise to you and your sidekick, Chuck. Bejees, you’re burglars, not barkeeps! Blind-eyed, deef old bastard, am I? Oh, I heard you! Heard you often when you didn’t think. You and Chuck laughing behind my back, telling people you throw the money up in the air and whatever sticks to the ceiling is my share! A fine couple of crooks! You’d steal the pennies off your dead mother’s eyes!
    ROCKY
    Winks at LARRY .
    Aw, Harry, me and Chuck was on’y kiddin’.
    HOPE
    More drowsily .
    I’ll fire both of you, Bejees, if you think you can play me for an easy mark, you’ve come to the wrong house. No one ever played Harry Hope for a sucker!
    ROCKY
    To LARRY .
    No one but everybody.
    HOPE
    His eyes shut again — mutters .
    Least you could do—keep things quiet—
    He falls asleep .
    WILLIE
    Pleadingly .
    Give me a drink, Rocky. Harry said it was all right. God, I need a drink.
    ROCKY
    Den grab it. It’s right under your nose.
    WILLIE
    Avidly .
    Thanks.
    He takes the bottle with both twitching hands and tilts it to his lips and gulps down the whiskey in big swallows .
    ROCKY
    Sharply .
    When! When!
    He grabs the bottle .
    I didn’t say, take a bath!
    Showing the bottle to larry— indignantly .
    Jees, look! He’s killed a half pint or more!
    He turns on willie angrily , butwillie has closed his eyes and is sitting quietly, shuddering, waiting for the effect .
    LARRY
    With a pitying g la nce .
    Leave him be, the poor devil. A half pint of that dynamite in one swig will fix him for a while—if it doesn’t kill him.
    ROCKY
    Shrugs his shoulders and sits down again .
    Aw right by me. It ain’t my booze.
    Behind him, in the chair at left of the midd le table , joe mott, the Negro, has been waking up .
    JOE
    His eyes blinking sleepily .
    Whose booze? Gimme some. I don’t care whose. Where’s Hickey?
    Ain’t he come yet? What time’s it, Rocky?
    ROCKY
    Gettin’ near time to open up. Time you begun to sweep up in de bar.
    JOE
    Lazily .
    Never mind de time. If Hickey ain’t come, it’s time Joe goes to sleep again. I was dreamin’ Hickey come in de door, crackin’ one of dem drummer’s jokes, wavin’ a big bankroll and we was all goin’ be drunk for two weeks. Wake up and no luck.
    Suddenly his eyes open wide .
    Wait a minute, dough. I got idea. Say, Larry, how ’bout dat young guy, Parritt, came to look you up last night and rented a room?
    Where’s he at?
    LARRY
    Up in his room, asleep. No hope in him, anyway, Joe. He’s broke.
    JOE
    Dat what he told you? Me and Rocky knows different. Had a roll when he paid you his room rent, didn’t he, Rocky? I seen it.
    ROCKY
    Yeah. He flashed it like he forgot and