Vladimirâs hat, Estragonâs boot, Luckyâshat, fall to the ground. Pozzo throws down the whip.)
Worn out, this whip. (
He looks at Vladimir and Estragon
.) What was I saying?
VLADIMIR : Letâs go.
ESTRAGON : But take the weight off your feet, I implore you, youâll catch your death.
POZZO : True. (
He sits down. To Estragon
.) What is your name?
ESTRAGON : Adam.
POZZO : (
who hasnât listened
). Ah yes! The night. (
He raises his head
.) But be a little more attentive, for pityâs sake, otherwise weâll never get anywhere. (
He looks at the sky
.) Look! (
All look at the sky except Lucky who is dozing off again. Pozzo jerks the rope
.) Will you look at the sky, pig! (
Lucky looks at the sky
.) Good, thatâs enough. (
They stop looking at the sky
.) What is there so extraordinary about it? Qua sky. It is pale and luminous like any sky at this hour of the day. (
Pause
.) In these latitudes. (
Pause
.) When the weather is fine. (
Lyrical
.) An hour ago (
he looks at his watch, prosaic
) roughly (
lyrical
) after having poured forth even since (
he hesitates, prosaic
) say ten oâclock in the morning (
lyrical
) tirelessly torrents of red and white light it begins to lose its effulgence, to grow pale (
gesture of the two hands lapsing by stages
) pale, ever a little paler, a little paler until (
dramatic pause, ample gesture of the two hands flung wide apart
) pppfff! finished! it comes to rest. Butâ(
hand raised in admonition
)âbut behind this veil of gentleness and peace night is charging (
vibrantly
) and will burst upon us (
snaps his fingers
) pop! like that! (
his inspiration leaves him
) just when we least expect it. (
Silence. Gloomily
.) Thatâs how it is on this bitch of an earth.
Long silence
.
ESTRAGON : So long as one knows.
VLADIMIR : One can bide oneâs time.
ESTRAGON : One knows what to expect.
VLADIMIR : No further need to worry.
ESTRAGON : Simply wait.
VLADIMIR : Weâre used to it.
He picks up his hat, peers inside it, shakes it, puts it on
.
POZZO : How did you find me? (
Vladimir and Estragon look at him blankly
.) Good? Fair? Middling? Poor? Positively bad?
VLADIMIR : (
first to understand
). Oh very good, very very good.
POZZO : (
to Estragon
). And you, Sir?
ESTRAGON : Oh tray bong, tray tray tray bong.
POZZO : (
fervently
). Bless you, gentlemen, bless you!
(
Pause
.) I have such need of encouragement! (
Pause
.) I weakened a little towards the end, you didnât notice?
VLADIMIR : Oh perhaps just a teeny weeny little bit.
ESTRAGON : I thought it was intentional.
POZZO : You see my memory is defective.
Silence
.
ESTRAGON : In the meantime nothing happens.
POZZO : You find it tedious?
ESTRAGON : Somewhat.
POZZO : (
to Vladimir
). And you, Sir?
VLADIMIR : Iâve been better entertained.
Silence. Pozzo struggles inwardly
.
POZZO : Gentlemen, you have been . . . civil to me.
ESTRAGON : Not at all!
VLADIMIR : What an idea!
POZZO : Yes yes, you have been correct. So that I ask myself is there anything I can do in my turn for these honest fellows who are having such a dull, dull time.
ESTRAGON : Even ten francs would be a help.
VLADIMIR : We are not beggars!
POZZO : Is there anything I can do, thatâs what I ask myself, to cheer them up? I have given them bones, I have talked to them about this and that, I have explained the twilight, admittedly. But is it enough, thatâs what tortures me, is it enough?
ESTRAGON : Even five.
VLADIMIR : (
to Estragon, indignantly
). Thatâs enough!
ESTRAGON : I couldnât accept less.
POZZO : Is it enough? No doubt. But I am liberal. Itâs my nature. This evening. So much the worse for me. (
He jerks the rope. Lucky looks at him
.) For I shall suffer, no doubt about that. (
He picks up the whip
.) What do you prefer? Shall we have him dance, or sing, or recite, or think, orâ
ESTRAGON : Who?
POZZO : Who! You know how to think, you two?
VLADIMIR : He