A remote farm, now a Security outpost in the Peak District. Plot of land. Early evening, the light is fading fast. The guttural croak of a raven overhead. Dogs bark.
Turner (Off stage.) Woo-Hoo!
Turner runs out followed by James.
Turner (Hollers out.) You jammy cunt! He gonna be gloatin’ all night.
James Where’s he takin’ her?
Turner Putting her in that outbuildin’ over there. I been one ahead, now she makes us even.
James You keep a score?
Turner Aint as if it’s every day yer getting’ one. That’s the first Illegal we picked up in six weeks.
James What a’ you doin’ the rest a’ the time?
Turner Tuggin’ our dicks. Out lookin’ for the next ones s’what we doin’.
Turner takes out his flask, belts back a drink.
Most a’ the time me and Bug over there a’ out patrollin’ together. But I’ll have you with me for a few days, train you up and then you can go out with Burns.
James Been given a letter for him.
Turner Letter? How’d you get it?
James Headquarters in Manchester.
Turner You got it with yer now?
James nods.
Turner Let me have a look at it.
James It sealed.
Turner Aint gonna open it.
James S’what you want it for?
Turner Just give me the fuckin’ letter.
James produces the letter. Turner snatches looks at the envelope.
Turner Shit.
James What?
Turner Can’t tell what’s in it.
Turner gives the envelope to James.
Turner Burns’s boy, Brian, been deployed three year ago.
James Thinkin’ he dead?
Turner Probably says he comin’ back, now that we got the strong hold over there.
Bug enters jauntily.
Bug What’d you say to that then?
Turner Yeah, alright. This here is big useless Greg.
James and Bug shake hands.
Bug Bug.
James James.
Bug A we glad to see you.
James Glad to be here.
Bug They gettin’ younger or we older?
Turner Good to see ’em signin’ up.
Bug They been sayin’ they gonna send us more men for two months.
James Well I’m just the one.
Bug It’s somethin’.
Turner Things a’ lookin’ up.
Bug What time you get here?
Turner About an hour ago.
Bug Alright, aint it?
James Glad to be here.
Bug Where you been posted before?
James London.
Bug (Laughs.) I bet yer fuckin’ are.
Turner (Laughs.) What a shit hole eh?
Turner and Bug are now quiet.
Bug It the way they say?
James I guess.
Bug You ain’t sure?
James Never knowed what it like before.
Turner London’s finished.
Bug No sign a’ Recovery there?
Turner What’s it matter?
Bug Bein’ London an’ all.
Turner Manchester’s where it’s at now.
Bug Yeah, I know.
Turner Been improvements there.
Bug Just askin’.
Turner Where’d you pick her up?
Bug About twenty mile from the Sheffield border.
Turner She have a bag with her?
Bug Nothin’.
Turner You pick up a woman with no bag, means she up the spout.
James You get many that way?
Turner More than you’d think.
Bug Them rods in ’em aint guaranteed.
Turner Dint show up at a clinic or ripped ’em out.
James Where’s she go from here?
Bug Take her to the train station.
Turner Same you got off earlier.
Bug Burns back?
Turner Nah, better be back here soon, I’m champin’ at the bit for tonight.
Bug Now we got two things to celebrate.
Turner You comparin’ seizin’ a knocked-up Illegal to seizin’ a pipeline?
Bug sheepishly shakes his head.
Turner Tonight’s about the man that had the bollocks to go over there, and had the bollocks to fight. (Raises his flask.) We celebratin’ the King’s bollocks.
Turner and Bug belt one back.
James Where we goin’?
Bug When?
James Tonight? To celebrate.
Turner and Bug laugh.
Turner Aint goin’ nowhere. This here. (Stops laughing.) This is your world. Entire. Sky.
Bug Mountains.
Turner Moors.
Bug Bogs.
Turner Mud.
Bug Dirt.
Turner Cuckoo spit.
Bug Fox piss.
Turner Dog shit.
Bug Cow shit.
Turner Horse shit.
Bug Stage skunk.
Turner And fuck all else.
Burns enters.
Turner (To Bug.) He’s thinkin’ about how he can laid already.
Burns Welcome to the Peak.
Burns and James shake hands.
Burns Burns.
James James.
Burns Just got in?
James Bout an hour ago.
Burns How was the train up here?
James Took a while.
Burns Been some time since I travelled about.
Burns What’s it lookin’ like?
James What d’you mean?
Burns See any construction work goin’ on?
Bug She in the outbuildin’.
James Can’t say I did.
Burns Buildin’ a homes?
James shakes his head.
Turner He only been sat on a train.
Burns Repairin’ a’ roads?
James shakes his head.
Turner Arterial roads have been fixed.
Burns Nothin’ like that?
James shakes his head.
Burns No sign a’ Recovery then?
Turner Priorities s’what they been doin’.
Burns Thought the Recovery was one.
Beat.
Bug I got an Illegal.
Burns Wasn’t expectin’ yer till tomorrow.
James When I got inta Manchester there been a freight leavin’ early, so I took that.
Burns Been over to Headquarters whilst you there.
James Been given a letter for yer.
Burns Letter? What kind a’ letter?
James produces the letter. Burns takes it and reads the envelope.
James steps away. Turner nods at Bug for them to give Burns some space. Burns opens the envelope and reads the letter. Pause. He laughs. The men turn round.
Burns I been put in charge.
Bug and James happily step forwards. Turner stays where he is with a face like a smacked arse.
Bug (Pats back.) Congratulations.
James (Shakes hand.) Congratulations.
Turner What’s it say?
Burns You can read it later.
Turner Like to read it now.
Burns It goin’ up on the kitchen wall.
Mrs Peel enters.
Mrs Peel She’s pregnant and she far gone.
Bug She aint showin’. You checked?
Mrs Peel She as wide as a river in spate.
Bug (Grins.) Nothin’ worse.
Mrs Peel When yer boat aint big enough.
Mrs Peel leaves.
Burns There’s a train leavin’ at eleven. (To Bug.) You’ll just about make it.
Turner We celebratin’ tonight.
Burns Next trains not for a week.
Turner What difference does it make?
Burns No need to drag this thing out.
Turner Aint as if she gonna drop it in a week.
Burns Best she goes now.
Turner He aint gonna get back here till gone three.
Burns Put her on a horse too.
Turner I say we vote on it.
Burns I say what goes on around here now.
Bug nods, Turner nods grudgingly. Burns leaves.
Bug He just pissed all over my strawberries.
Bug leaves. Turner and James watch him go.
Turner There’s no way Stevens would a’ done that.
James Who’s Stevens?
Turner He the boss round here.
James Where’d he go?
Turner Venezuela, with the rest a’ ’em. There been eight a’ us here to start with.
Turner walks off in the opposite direction to Bug.
Turner (Stops.) You comin’? (Storms off.) We got a war victory to celebrate.
James leaves.
Kitchen. Afternoon.
Megan has mopped the floor, she now rings out the mop. James enters stops as he sees the wet floor between the two of them.
James Mornin’.
Megan spins round.
Megan Mornin’.
James Guess I can’t come in here.
They look at the floor . . .
James How long it gonna take to dry?
Megan Five minutes.
James Five?
Megan Three, maybe.
James Hard to be exact.
Megan It tricky to judge.
James I bet.
They look at each other . . .
James Come back in five then.
James makes to leave.
Megan Bound to be three by now.
James Don’t seem worth goin’.
Megan Just to come back again.
Beat.
Megan You could wait here?
James I’m not botherin’ you?
Megan I just finished. Well . . . almost.
Megan’s eyes narrow on a supposed blemish on the floor.
Megan Missed a bit.
Megan takes steps forwards with the mop.
James It’s Megan?
Megan abandons the idea of mopping.
Megan Yeah.
They move towards one another almost imperceptibly.
James I’m –
Megan James.
James Yeah.
They smile, look down at the floor and edge back again in embarrassment.
Megan What you come here for?
James Boilin’ water. Thought I’d have a shave.
Megan When’s your birthday?
James Twelfth a’ April.
Megan Just passed.
James nods.
Megan Shame.
James Why’s that?
Megan You get a bath on your birthday. I had mine too, tenth a’ January.
Beat.
Megan I spent the whole evenin’ in mine. Must a’ been in it for five hours. Mrs Peel kept bringin’ me more hot water each time it went cold and by the end a’ it the bath was so full it covered every inch a’ me. Then I did somethin’ I never done before, to make it special. I opened my eyes in the water, like I was swimmin’. And then, at the very end, I put a jug a’ milk in it. (Shrugs.) Made my tits soft.
Mrs Peel enters. She glares at them.
Megan He just waitin’ for the floor to dry.
Mrs Peel Looks bone dry to me.
Megan I’ll put that pan a’ water on.
James I’ll come back later.
James makes to leave.
Mrs Peel Before you do I’m gonna say a few things about the handlin’ a this place that we women see too. Burns may a’ told you some a’ this already but I’m gonna say it anyway. Cause I like to tell it and Megan here, she like to hear it.
First off. We got plenty to do around here. There aint no idle time for me and her till I give it, aint that right Megan?
Megan nods.
Mrs Peel We got livestock to see to, cleanin’ to be done, and meals to be made. You get your breakfast, one cup a’ coffee and the pleasure a’ me in here at eight. You campin’ out and need some food with yer, you come to me about it. Otherwise you get your dinner in here at seven at and it’ll be served by me. You like deer?
James opens his mouth to speak . . .
Mrs Peel Cause it’s gonna come fried, boiled, smoked, roasted, dried, burnt and raw. (Lowers her gaze to his groin.) Every a’ inch a’ it too. I don’t do requests or suggestions, come dinner you get what you get. Same as outside we get toiletry supplies once a month. I recommend you use two sheets a’ paper for a piss and three for a shit. We don’t grow toilet paper, when it’s gone it’s gone. Any questions?
Mrs Peel’s eyes narrow onto James frame.
Mrs Peel You’re gonna need to thicken up for the winter. We feel it out here, gets inta your bones, worth it for the clean air though. I’ll see to it that I skim the butterfat, get plenty of milk in yer.
James How’d yer get fresh milk?
Mrs Peel From a cow’s tit.
James Aint had fresh milk since I been a kid.
Mrs Peel We set up alright here.
James You must a’ had a farm or somethin’ before?
Mrs Peel There’s one more thing for me to tell and I only gonna say it once. I’ve listened to all the stories a’ my generation, then watched ’em get sick or fade away. And it wasn’t this world that killed ’em. It was the other. The memory of it. Now. I’m fifty eight, still standin’, with nothin’ more than a bit a’ ring worm. We don’t talk about the past here.
Mrs Peel stares at James. James leaves quietly. Megan rushes to the stove.
Mrs Peel What a’ you doin’?
Megan He forgot the water.
Mrs Peel He dint forget. He decided he dint want it after all.
Mrs Peel glares at Megan. Burns enters.
Burns Mornin’.
Mrs Peel Afternoon.
Burns Suppose it is. We kept yer awake last night?
Mrs Peel Nothin’ disturbs my beauty sleep.
Burns Cause us men were goin’ for it.
Mrs Peel That aint kept me awake yet.
Burns sits and picks horse shit off his boot, Megan watches it fall to the floor.
Burns How long for that deer?
Mrs Peel It aint bled out yet.
Burns Couple a’ hours?
Mrs Peel I gotta gut her too.
Burns Three yer say?
Mrs Peel Then I gotta skin her.
Burns How long?
Mrs Peel Four, butcherin’s hard work.
Burns Wanted the boy to have some meat ‘for he goes out.
Mrs Peel Got some dried arse rashers.
Burns That the best you can do? Still, better than what everyone else has. Can I get a tea?
Megan looks up from the floor and prepares the tea.
Mrs Peel It better, but we could have more.
Mrs Peel brings out a potato from her apron.
Mrs Peel (Sniffs with pride.) Now there’s this here tater.
Burns stands, Megan rushes over, Mrs Peel guards her potato jealously.
Mrs Peel It early, but it right enough.
Megan I can smell it.
Burns I can taste it.
Megan We gonna roast ’em?
Burns We havin’ em mashed.
Megan Mashed taters and deer!
Burns How many a’ down there?
Mrs Peel This is it.
Beat.
Burns You sown one tater?
Mrs Peel It the only ‘en to survive.
Burns and Megan walk away.
Mrs Peel This here’s, the beginnin’.
Burns sits down.
Mrs Peel If I can get one I can get more. That plot a’ land by the stables, that’s the sod I sown this in. That sod would yield a crop.
Burns We an outpost here, Mrs Peel. Not a farm.
Mrs Peel Most a’ the works preparin’ the land, but then we’d be set.
Burns Need a plough to do that.
Mrs Peel Spades’d do the work of a plough, could get some vegetable plots out a’ it too.
Burns You and Megan’d be spadin’ for weeks.
Mrs Peel Can’t wait that long, humidity’ll get em like it done before. If we had some extra hands with us . . .
Burns I aint puttin’ my men on a shovel.
Mrs Peel Me and her’d tend to it after that. Barn’s good for storin’ what we’d harvest.
Burns I aint sayin’ it again.
Mrs Peel We could be self sufficient, no more tinned rations.
Burns Answers no.
Pause. Mrs Peel brings out the potato and rubs it.
Mrs Peel See how the skin’s comin’ off?
Burns doesn’t look at Mrs Peel.
Mrs Peel Skin aint had the chance to set firm.
Mrs Peel sets the potato on the table before Burns.
Mrs Peel Means it’s new.
Turner, worse for wear, and Bug enter.
Mrs Peel Brand new.
Burns now looks at the potato.
Turner I got a head as bad as a bastard. Coffee on?
Megan Doin’ it now.
Bug Is that a spud?
Turner Need somethin’ to settle my gut.
Bug How come we’ve got spuds?
Megan Fetch you some milk?
Turner ignores Megan’s offer and looks at the potato on the table.
Turner Fried taters.
Turner turns to Bug.
Bug Fried deer.
Bug turns to Turner.
Turner Fried egg.
Bug Tin a’ beans.
The realisation hits them at the same time.
Bug That’s a full English breakfast!
Turner Kiss me quick I’m comin’!
Mrs Peel Tater aint for breakfast.
Mrs Peel shoves the potato in her apron.
Turner Why, what a’ we havin’?
Mrs Peel I make it way past eight.
Turner I make it your job to cater for us.
Beat. Mrs Peel lights the stove.
Bug Where’s James?
Turner He up and around.
Bug Shall I go get him?
Turner What a’ you askin’ me for?
Bug walks out of the kitchen.
Bug (Hollers.) James! . . . (Hollers.) James! . . . (Hollers.) James!
Bug comes back into the kitchen.
Turner I got a tongue as dry as a horse’s hoof, that coffee ready?
Megan Bringin’ it now.
Megan brings the coffee to the table as James enters.
Bug (To James.) Breakfast.
James Thought I’d missed it.
James sits at the table.
Bug Slept well?
James Yeah, I did.
Turner With them dogs barkin’?
James Too tired to hear anythin’.
Turner You must a’ heard ’em, Burns?
Burns What?
Turner Dogs goin’ at it last night. I say we head over to Edale, pitch up there for a couple a’ days.
Bug agrees.
James Where’s Edale?
Turner North east a’ here, about twenty mile. Nothin’ to it really, just a straight mile a’ cottages runnin’ through.
Bug It been empty a long time, way before the orders came to leave. Been a tourist spot before, droves a’ walkers passin’ through on weekends, kind a’ place southerners retired too.
Turner What it is is a prime spot for Illegals.
Bug We check the cottages for any sign a’ ’em, blankets, smuts still alive, empty tinned food cans where the sauce aint turned.
Turner They hole up in ’em before makin’ their way just north a’ there to the Pennine Way, leads all the way up to the Scottish border. Most a’ the time that’s where the cunts a’ headin’, Scotland.
Bug Thinkin’ it better in the north.
Turner Sometimes I reckon the border restrictions should be lifted for a week.
Mrs Peel and Megan bring in four plates of a dismal breakfast.
Turner Let all the Civilians in cities and settlements go where ever the fuck they want and see it pretty much the same everywhere. After that they’d be back in their pens and the cunts’d stay put, no more Illegals. (Grins with a mouthful.) But then we’d be out of a’ job.
Beat.
Turner That alright with you Burns if we do Edale?
Burns (Nods.) Do a circle on the way back by Kinder Scoutt.
Turner You takin’ James out with you or he comin’ with us?
Burns Me and him’s stayin’ about here.
Turner Showed him what there is yesterday.
Burns There’s some work to be done.
Turner What work?
Burns Seein’ to that plot a’ land by the stables.
Mrs Peel looks over at Burns and Turner sees her.
Burns Preparin’ it for a crop.
Bug More spuds?
Burns Needs to be weeded and spaded first.
Bug All a’ it?
Burns Me and James’ll start her off.
Bug That’s a lot a’ shovellin’.
Burns Youse can take over when you get back, be done in a week or so.
Turner stands.
Bug Where you goin’?
Turner To do my job.
Turner walks off. Bug stands.
Burns See you in a couple a’ days.
Bug nods and leaves.
Burns Any good at shovellin’ James?
James Can’t say I done it before.
Mrs Peel enters to clear the plates.
Burns S’like bein’ the batsman in cricket.
James Can’t say I been that either.
Burns and James leave.
Burns It’s all in the kneel.
Mrs Peel Burns?
Burns stops before he leaves turns to Mrs Peel. Beat.
Mrs Peel New boy been in here this mornin’. He been real excited to know we got a cow, way I see it he aint had his hands around a teat in a long time. Make sure he knows that milkin’ the cow aint his job round here.
Mrs Peel leaves.
Peak. Night.
Turner is sat staring into the small fire. Bug approaches Turner from behind. The horses are heard to stir occasionally.
Bug (Sheepishly.) Turner . . .
Turner What?
Beat.
Turner What you forgot this time?
Bug The tarp.
Turner What a’ we gonna do now?
Bug We could go back?
Turner I aint goin’ back.
Bug I could go back.
Turner Fuck the tarp.
Bug Fuck the tarp?
Turner Fuck the tarp. Fuck the rain. Fuck the land. Fuck Burns.
Bug (Grins.) Thought you was pissed at me.
Turner And fuck you.
Bug (Still grinning.) But you aint.
Turner Aint you pissed about it?
Bug Yeah, I’m pissed. But. Way I see it, I only gotta be pissed for three days.
Turner Three days?
Bug Four max.
Turner We supposed to be patrollin’ this here bastard peak, and now there’s just two a’ us doin’ it.
Bug We’ll be four by the end a’ the week.
Turner By then we could a’ lost out on god knows how many Illegals.
Bug Aint as if we pickin’ ’em up every week, Turn.
Turner You know why? Cause they fear us. They fear us, Bug. That’s why.
Bug looks out.
Turner This whole gardenin’ thing, it dint come from Burns.
Bug What d’you mean?
Turner That old rope, Peel. It her idea.
Bug Wouldn’t mind havin’ some spuds.
Turner She sowin’ more than that.
Bug Reckon we’ll get peas?
Turner Would you stop thinkin’ about your gut and think about what’s goin’ on here. Aint Burns puttin’ us on a shovel, it Peel, a civilian. I like Burns, don’t get me wrong, he been a good soldier, done his fair share a’ tours. But that was some time ago, this last three year he been lookin’ up at the moon through a whiskey bottle waitin’ for his boy to come back. He aint got the grit to do the job, s’all I’m sayin’. Beat.
Turner Put some food on?
Bug Aint hungry yet.
Turner Me neither
Bug You know what I been thinkin’ about?
Turner Getting’ laid?
Bug Yeah, but soemthin’ else too.
Turner looks blank.
Bug Keep thinkin’ about that stag.
Turner Why?
Bug I don’t know.
Turner So what you talkin’ about it for?
Bug I don’t know.
Beat.
Bug Never seen a stag bitten like that.
Turner Seen it before.
Bug Whatever it was knew what it was doin’, straight for the jugular.
Turner What d’you mean: whatever it was?
Bug I don’t know.
Turner Told you a dog done it.
Bug It was a big bastard too.
Turner Fuckin’ three dogs then.
Bug Not an organ left.
Turner How many times has one of them stray dogs come at you? Them dogs have spent most a’ their life sprawled on a rug in front of a TV fartin’. But with all that gone they’re wild.
Bug Yeah, you’re right.
Beat.
Bug Never seen a dog this far inta the Peak.
Turner And I never had such a borin’ conversation.
Beat.
Bug Haven’t pitched in this spot for a while.
Turner Couple a’ week maybe.
Bug Had this dream, last time we were sleepin’ here. Not really a dream cause I was awake, sleepy eyed kind a’ thing. The whole place was lit. Burnin’. Red with fire. Some trees fallin’. The ground scorched . . .
Turner And then what?
Bug (Shrugs.) Nothin’.
Stables. Evening.
Megan is laid on her back staring upwards. James enters.
James Evenin’.
Megan jumps to her feet.
Megan Evenin’.
James Came to check the tack for my horse.
Megan Which one been given?
James Sheets.
Beat.
James What a’ you doin’?
Megan I’m bein’ alone.
Beat.
James You come here to do that?
Megan Huhum.
Beat.
Megan Mrs Peel don’t tend to come here. She don’t like the horses much, especially Mince. He been eating her sage bush. Sheets kicked her in the gut. But she was alright about that.
James Guess I’ll be goin’ then.
Megan I don’t mind sharin’ this space. I could just sit here alone, sit here sharin’ it, s’all the same to me – you like stars?
James I guess.
Megan Want a’ see some?
James Alright.
Megan S’why I’m always in this spot so I can see ’em.
James edges forwards to where Megan stands.
Megan I sometimes sit outside when you all sleepin’ and look at ’em too. It’s so quiet and dark. Never no planes in the sky, no headlights, lights from windows. Just them stars and me. You know that the stars a’ suns?
James shakes his head.
Megan Suns just the closet one to us is all. Mrs Peel told me that. Told me that everyone a’ them stars is gonna die sometime and same goes for ours. But before it dies, a long time before it dies, it gonna cook us to a crisp and boil all the water away. You know that?
James shakes his head.
Megan She told me that the moons done for too. Every year it moves further away and there’ll come a time when it won’t support us no more, we’re gonna drop like a sack a’ taters. You know that?
James shakes his head.
Megan Don’t really matter anyway cause the sun’ll cook us first.
Beat.
James Know how to find the North star.
Megan Mrs Peel don’t know that.
James There’s seven bright stars in the shape of a saucepan. You find the saucepan and take the edge a’ it that’s furthest away from the handle. You draw a line from the star at the base a’ the pan to the star at the rim. You extend it about five times. That leads you to another saucepan. A smaller one. You take the edge a’ the smaller saucepan’s handle that’s furthest away from the pan and you found the North Star. Drop a vertical line from the North Star to the horizon and that’s north.
Megan is lost yet impressed.
James Orientation was part a’ my trainin’. Taught to orientate ourselves without a compass. Had to learn to memorize co-ordinates. Told never to fold a map any other way than it already folded. That way you give nothin’ about the operation away. I liked that part a’ it, learnin’ I mean.
Megan How much schoolin’ you had?
James Till I was twelve.
Megan Same here.
James We must be the same age then.
Megan I like learnin’ too.
Beat.
James Show you some tactical hand signals if you want?
Megan What a’ they?
James Stuff you do to not give the operation away.
Megan’s game.
James (Raise his arm clenches his fist.) Hold.
Megan (Does the same.) Hold.
James (Crosses his arms across his chest.) Obstacle.
Megan (Does the same.) Obstacle.
James (Raises his arm, points the finger, rotates it.) Regroup.
Megan (Does the same.) Regroup.
James (Hand into a spy hole.) Look out.
Megan (Does the same.) Look out.
James (Cups his ear.) Say again.
Megan (Does the same.) Say again.
James Best stop there, gets confusin’ if you do too many.
Megan Never been someone my age here before.
James Security’s always been full a’ the other generation. But since most a’ thems gone overseas it left an openin’ for us. Now that we old enough to do it. I signed up a year ago.
Beat.
Megan So now you got health care.
James Yeah. Not that I need it, I aint got nothin’.
Megan Good to have it.
James I guess.
Megan Get more rations too.
James When I was outside, here we eatin’ the same.
Megan Bigger livin’ quarters for you.
James Aint done it for none a’ that.
Megan (Nods.) Just wanted to be in the Security.
James First time I had a choice in somethin’. Everythin’ else been decided for me. Figured, if I’m gonna be drafted as well, I’d rather choose it then it get me. So that’s what I done. Some a’ them I knew dint speak to me after I done it. But. They don’t speak much to each other outside anyway. This is the most I talked in a long time. Gonna get me in bother, like it did this mornin’ with Mrs Peel.
Megan She always like that.
James Should a’ known better.
Megan Should be able to ask things sometimes.
The horses are heard to whinny. Megan becomes alert.
James I should be goin’.
Megan Probably just a mouse stirred ’em.
James You sure Mrs Peel aint gonna come?
Megan Last time I seen her she was pullin’ whiskers out a’ her chin and nose. She don’t tend to come out a’ our room after she been doin’ that. This here’s my free time, don’t get much a’ that.
James She worked you hard on that shovel today.
Megan She always workin’ me, even when there’s nothin’ needs doin’, but it good for me. When there was more men here I been busy most a’ the time but when they went away I been told I was gonna be sent back to my old quarters and put to work in the refinery.
James How come you stayed?
(Beat.)
Megan Turner, he put in a good word for me.
James Don’t seem like him.
Megan Here a bit like where I grew up, dint have horses a’ nothin’ but reminds me a’ it sometimes . . .
James Thought you dint talk about the past here?
Megan I don’t do everythin’ Mrs Peel tells me. Today I chucked a handful a seeds down the toilet. Yesterday I tipped coffee grinds inta the compost like I been told too, but I slung in a tea bag, like I been told not too. Day before I spotted a hare munchin’ away at her first ever courgette flower and I stood by and let it eat it down to the core. Last month I took a knife and made a gash in her mosquito nettin’, and sure enough she been bit. And for a year I been watchin’ a vine slowly spreadin’ itself on top a’ the spade I hid and I let it keep on growin’ like toe nails on a corpse.
Burns (Offstage.) James?
James I gotta go.
Megan He just callin’ he aint comin’ here.
Burns (Offstage.) James?
James I should go.
James walks away, stops, turns around.
James Maybe see you in here again?
Megan I don’t mind sharin’ this space.
Megan sits.
Megan S’all same to me.
James leaves. Megan smiles.
Kitchen. Afternoon.
Mrs Peel and Megan are before the table which is covered in seeds. James and Burns are bringing boxes of supplies into the kitchen.
Mrs Peel Potatoes, peas, beans are all the seed for their kind, cucumbers and most fruit contain the seed within ’em, we’ll pick ’em out. Reason there’s so many different kinds is, where one will fail another can still succeed. They’re not all gonna’ survive. Nature knows that, spreads it chances. When pickin’ leaves and mushrooms you gotta be careful that they aint poisonous. A rule a’ thumb I swear by is if you don’t recognize it or it’s got a dick don’t trust it. (Glares at James.) Get rid a’ it.
Burns sits on a box and decanters the whiskey bottle into his flask.
Mrs Peel (To Burns.) One a’ your dogs has been in here last night and had itself a free for all. I had a deer’s tongue in a little dish over there, marinadin’ in some vinegar and garlic over night –
Burns Vinegar and garlic?
Mrs Peel I don’t appreciate feedback on my cookin’. I walk in here, dish is tipped over, and No Tongue. Best bit too.
Burns Yer can say that again.
Mrs Peel dislikes Burns’s tone and lets him know it.
Burns I’ll tell ’em to be more careful when tyin’ ’em up at night.
Mrs Peel Damn good kick up the goolies is what it needs.
Burns You got one less bag a’ flour and no coffee.
Mrs Peel You got tea?
Burns nods.
Mrs Peel You checked it? Cause last time they diddled yer.
Burns Everythin’ else is there.
Mrs Peel shifts her attention back to Megan.
Mrs Peel Most a’ what you gonna be doin’ is sowin’, waterin’ and harvestin’. But you’ll need to have the eye a’ the hawk about you at all times. Why? Cause you’re on the look out for Fungus . . .
James enters with the last of the supplies.
Mrs Peel And he comes in all shapes and guises. Mould, mildew, black spot. You see any sign a’ Fungus you come to me.
James looks at the seeds on the table.
Mrs Peel You see a bird pullin’ at the tops a’ my spring opinions, a hare helpin’ itself to my cabbages, a slug suckin’ up my salad (turns on James) what d’you do?
James I come to you?
Mrs Peel Wrong.
Mrs Peel edges towards James.
Mrs Peel You nip it in the bud right there and then. You take your hand! a rock! a shovel! and you do whatever it takes.
Burns Any chance a’ some breakfast? Been up and out at dawn gettin’ this lot.
Mrs Peel Megan, make Burns some breakfast.
Mrs Peel starts putting the supplies away. Megan makes the breakfast. Secret glances are shared between James and Megan in the silence. Burns switches the radio on.
Radio The government has announced today that more vouchers will be distributed (Tunes . . .) Intervals of showers (Tunes . . .) Terror and dread fell upon them by the might of your arm. (Tunes . . .) And finally may we remind Civilians that there is a strong UV warning tomorrow . . . (Tunes . . . crazy sermon.) The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me! –
Burns switches it off.
Mrs Peel Evangelicals, nuttier than a squirrel’s fart.
Burns Spoutin’ their horse shit on every network.
James Same on the streets too.
Burns Man wants to eat his breakfast and listen to the news.
Mrs Peel Aint broadcast nothin’ true in years.
Turner and Bug enter, sweating and soiled from shovelling, they zoom in on the supplies.
Burns They don’t say the half a’ it, I know that.
Turner (Pulls out the whiskey.) Arh yes!
James Dint even announce that bomb in Leeds.
Everyone turns to James. Beat.
Turner What?
Burns Bomb in Leeds?
Turner What did you just say?
Bug Leeds has been bombed!
James No.
Turner What did you just say!
Beat.
James (Quietly.) That bomb in Leeds at Security Headquarters. Thought you knew.
Burns When did this happen?
James Four . . . five week ago.
Bug Four, five week ago!
Turner A’ you takin’ the piss out a’ us?
James What?
Turner I said a’ you takin’ the piss out a’ us?
James No.
Turner Think you can say bullshit and we’ll believe you?
Burns What happened?
James A bomb went off –
Turner We know that!
Burns Who set it off?
James Civilians.
Pause.
Bug Civilians?
Burns How’d they get inta Headquarters?
James They blew off the gates.
Turner How’d they get a bomb?
James They made it.
Burns And then what?
James They sieged the Headquarters.
Beat.
Turner Sieged?
Burns How many were they?
James Eight.
Bug Eight Civilians sieged a’ Headquarters?
Turner What were the Security doin’!
James (Shrugs.) Sleepin’ mostly.
Turner You tryin’ to be funny?
James It was night, they took ’em by surprise and opened fire.
Bug What?
James They had guns, worked in an arms factory.
Turner And what? We payin’ ’em with arms now!
Bug They’ll a smuggled ’em out.
Turner I know that.
Burns What was the damage?
James Communication lines destroyed, women’s records burnt, twelve Security dead.
Beat.
Turner What happened to the eight?
James Six dead and two executed.
Bug Why dint we know about this?
Turner How did you find out?
James Been told, word a’ it spread amongst the Security.
Turner But nothin’ official came through?
James shakes his head.
Burns Playin’ down the threat.
Bug What d’you mean?
Burns There was always gonna come a day when they’d rise.
Turner (To Bug.) Eight dead, dint rise at all.
Burns It just the beginnin’.
Turner (To Bug.) They failed.
Burns They’ll do it again.
Turner (To Burns.) It one incident.
Burns You call that an incident?
Turner It dint change nothin’.
Bug Twelve Security dead?
Turner We soldiers, soldiers die.
Bug Yeah but overseas.
Burns War just got closer.
Turner Ah for fucks sake, eight Civilians!
Bug You think it gonna lead to that?
Turner (To Bug.) Would you shut up!
Burns It been eight but more will follow.
Turner They aint never fought back.
Burns When the elections were cancelled they did.
Turner And after that day they never done it again.
Pause. Turner, Burns and Bug become very aware of Mrs Peel.
Turner What did the Civilians a’ Leeds do James, after this here siege?
James What d’you mean?
Turner They dint run on over there and join in?
James No.
Turner They dint try again in the weeks that followed?
James (Shakes his head.)
Turner No. They’ve accepted how things are, same as they accepted how things were gonna be all them years ago, and they aint never done nothin’ about it between. (To Bug.) Bring some a’ that whiskey out with us.
Bug lifts out a bottle.
James They were young, the eight.
Turner Makes no difference.
Bug and Turner make to leave.
James Think they angry.
Turner Eight angry teenagers . . . (Whistles.) the times we livin’ in.
James Weren’t teenagers, been about my age.
Turner Now I’m really shittin’ it.
Burns It gonna be us they’ll come for.
Bug But we’re doin’ our job.
Turner We’re here cause the country needed to us be.
Burns Weren’t meant to become this.
Turner Everythin’ we done had to be done.
Bug What were the government supposed to do?
Turner We aint here cause a’ some ideology.
Burns Oh I know that, there are no ideas anymore.
Turner There’s the Recovery!
Beat.
Turner And we’re here to ensure that that happens.
Turner makes to leave.
Burns We’ve got the same debt as a third world country, Turner.
Turner We are no third world country.
Burns We could a’ prepared for what was to come whilst we still had the money to do so, but no, no, he signed us up to war and debt.
Turner Don’t blame him when it was every other prick in office before him.
Burns Debt to fight wars that aint even ours.
Turner Aint ours? The cunts turned the tap off!
Burns We did not need to join them. And now we’ll never be free. We can’t pay them back, and they don’t want us too. They’d rather have us like this . . . a colony.
Turner You’re gettin’ our enemies mixed up.
Burns They are not our ally.
Turner And they’re not our enemy. Take one look at history and it’ll tell you that, yeah, they can be a nasty cunt, but not to us. They always been on our side and when this is over they’ll help us with the Recovery.
Burns There’s no Recovery!
Turner This is England!
Burns This is not England!
Turner Then what’s your Brian fightin’ for if it’s not his country?
Burns My lads not fightin’ for his country.
Turner walks away.
Burns He’s fightin’ for a pipe.
Turner storms off and Bug follows.
Burns They’re fightin’ for whatever’s left!
Burns belts back a long drink. Silence.
Mrs Peel Like strawberry pie, Burns?
Burns What?
Mrs Peel You like strawberry pie?
Burns Never had it.
Mrs Peel Megan, fetch me a tin a’ strawberries for Burn’s pie.
Megan leaves. Mrs Peel looks at James, he leaves.
Mrs Peel Ask you a question, Burns?
Burns Everybody else has.
Mrs Peel Why a’ you in the Security?
Burns Ask me another.
Mrs Peel You regret it?
Beat.
Burns My granddad was a coal miner. Started on the shovel at seventeen. Worked down there till he was fifty five. Lungs packed up when he was fifty nine. He was not a morbid man but over the years he often spoke about his death. Said, I spent most a’ my life underground, and when I’m dead, don’t put me back down there. (Turns to Mrs Peel) We buried him.
Mrs Peel Why?
Burns Couple a’ month before his funeral, he goes to someone else’s. My grandma’s sat with him in the crematorium. The sad music starts, the doors raised, the coffin gets half way in. My granddad walks out. Grandma leaves when its over, finds him waitin’ outside. First thing he says to her, I spent most a’ my life down there, and when I’m dead, I’m goin’ back down there.
Mrs Peel Which one does that answer?
Burns Both.
They share a smile. Mrs Peel walks away.
Burns How about whippin’ up some cream for my pie Mrs P?
Mrs Peel I don’t do requests or suggestions, Burns. Nor do I do abbreviations. I’m Mrs Peel, always.
Megan enters with the tin.
Mrs Peel Pie’ll be ready this evenin’.
Burns leaves.
Megan They never shouted like that.
Mrs Peel They ballin’ all the time.
Megan Never shouted about them things. Think he said, should a’ prepared. You been told what would happen.
Mrs Peel What a’ you sayin’ Megan?
Megan gives the tin to Mrs Peel.
Megan This pie just for Burns?
Mrs Peel He havin’ the first slice.
Megan Can I have the second?
Mrs Peel You can have a’ slice too.
Megan Can I help make it?
Mrs Peel You wash the slaughter house floor first.
Megan nods with pursed lips.
Mrs Peel You get their uniforms in a tub.
Megan nods with pursed lips.
Mrs Peel You come and tell me then you can roll the pastry.
Megan nods, Mrs Peel turns away.
James is about to enter – Megan shoots her arm up and makes a fist (hold signal) and James steps back. Mrs Peel turns to Megan, who still has her hand in the air.
Mrs Peel What a’ you doin’?
Megan Just killed a fly.
Mrs Peel Open up that hand.
Megan slowly opens her palm.
Megan Thought I killed a fly. (Looks about.) It gone.
Mrs Peel turns away. Megan looks for James but he isn’t there.
Megan Skin a’ my hands is cracked and sore.
Mrs Peel Rub a little butter on ’em.
Megan Need more than butter.
Mrs Peel Butter’s what you got.
Megan Put some on my face the other night.
Mrs Peel You been abusin’ that butter?
Megan Don’t want my face to wrinkle.
Mrs Peel You use it for cracks and sores only.
Megan sees James’s head – she crosses her arms across her chest (obstacle.) Mrs Peel turns to Megan, who still has her arms across her chest. Mrs Peel stands staring at Megan. Megan moves her hands about her arms as if they were a lovers. Mrs Peel looks at Megan like she’s losing the plot. Megan finally stops.
Megan (Shrugs.) Nice to hold yourself sometimes.
Mrs Peel I’m gonna go and grab hold a’ some sheep balls.
Mrs Peel leaves. James enters.
James She comin’ back?
Megan She gonna’ be a while.
James You sure?
Megan She got her hands full.
James Remembered the tactical signals pretty well.
Megan I did, didn’t I.
Beat.
Megan Have to teach me somethin’ else now.
James Like what?
Megan Have to think a’ somethin’.
Beat.
James Want a’ know some lateral thinkin’?
Megan Don’t have to be from trainin’.
James Don’t know much else.
Megan Dint sound like that earlier.
James Burns and Turner done the talkin’.
Megan You been the one they askin’.
James Dint have much of an opinion about it.
Megan You had the facts.
James Sat there listenin’ mostly s’what I done. Reminded me a’ when I used to go meetin’s with my dad. It been after the Breakdown that. There’d be about fifty a’ us, standin’ or sittin’ in a pokey terrace. I just been a kid, been there listenin’. But the rest a’ ’em been talkin’ and shoutin’ all night. Like I say, been after the Breakdown, could a’ made a bonfire out a’ their anger. Been that way for about a year, meetin’s twice a week. Then he started goin’ less, wasn’t the only one. He been too tired after his shift or worried that the Security, they’d break up meeting sometimes, would have him down as trouble. He still talked about it all in the evenin’s after the news, but he done it with my mum. She always sittin’ there quiet. Dint cry no more. When he been promoted to foreman in the factory he stopped goin’. Last meetin’ we went to there been a dozen a’ us and it finished before the lights went out. (Shifts.) This past year I been the one who’s breakin’ up meetin’s . . . they still have ’em in terraces, but they younger who go to ’em . . . aint been any less a’ ’em each time we went back . . . I’m talkin’ again . . . shouldn’t get used to it.
Megan Aint a bad thing.
James Good thing. That’s why.
Beat.
Megan When I planted the rhubarb Mrs Peel told me she was gonna make a rhubarb juice with it when it was ready. I never had rhubarb juice before but she told me it’s like apple juice but better and I really like apple juice. We started savin’ some sugar aside at the beginnin’ a’ every month for it and after waitin’ a whole year it was ready. It was one a’ the best things I ever tasted. I had a cup a’ it every day for ten days. And then it was gone and I got upset about that. I cried. The next year when the rhubarb was ready Mrs Peel dint make no juice with it. She boiled it up and made me eat it with no sugar for two weeks. That was a long time ago now. Rhubarb’s gonna be ready next month and Mrs Peel promised me she gonna make juice with it. When it’s gone it’s gone. I know that now. I just have to enjoy it whilst its there.
Megan and James lean towards one another – a strange rasping noise.
James What’s that?
Megan (Softly.) Sheep.
Megan and James lean further, until they are inches apart – a distressed rasping noise.
James Don’t sound like sheep.
Megan (Softly.) Mrs Peel’s castratin’ ’em s’why.
James jerks backwards.
James I gotta go.
James rushes off, stops.
James Tonight?
Megan (Beams.) Tonight.
James leaves.
Peak. Sunset.
Turner and Bug are sat eating from their tinned cans in silence.
Bug I tell yer about that seagull? Don’t think I did. When I dropped that deer, eight . . . nine days ago now, anyway, deer’s on the ground. I’m makin’ my way to it when out a’ nowhere a seagull comes down and pecks out the deer’s eyeball. If I’d a’ been any longer gettin’ to it it’d gone straight for its arse hole (Half laughs.) . . .
Turner No fish for ’em.
Beat.
Bug First thing you said since we been out here.
Turner Thinkin’, s’all.
Bug Man can think aloud.
Turner Aint ready in my head yet.
Bug I say stuff that aint ready all the time.
Turner I know. S’why I aint.
Beat.
Bug Thinkin’ about what Burns said?
Turner Nope.
Bug I been thinkin’ about what Burns said.
Beat.
Bug Pretty fucked, aint it?
Turner Nope.
Beat.
Bug How’s that.
Turner I’m sick a’ talkin’ about. Sick a’ thinkin’ about it. Don’t even matter to me anymore. Recovery or no Recovery, it aint gonna make no difference to me and what I’m gonna do. I served my country. I done my duty. I aint doin’ it . . . I aint.
Bug What?
Turner Fuck ’em. Fuck ’em all.
Bug What a’ you talkin’ about?
Turner I’m gonna find myself an abandoned farm. Fix it up. And stay the fuck there.
(Beat.)
Could be there too if yer wanted.
(Beat.)
Turner World already got smaller, and it can get even smaller for me. It can get as small as a farm and a couple a’ acres a’ land. It can empty itself a’ everybody till there’s just me and you left. It can burn itself to the ground around us.
Beat.
Turner Man can’t be alone. (Glances at Bug.) I know what time a’ day it is with you and . . . you do me. Way I see it, we’d get along fine anywhere’s.
Beat.
Turner Anyway, that’s what I’m gonna do.
Pause.
Turner What you gone quiet for!
Bug I’m just listenin’.
Turner Told you I dint want a’ say nothin’!
Turner stands.
Turner Said it wrong cause you’re fuckin’ quizzin’ me.
Bug I aint quizzin’ you.
Turner You’re fuckin’ quizzin’ me all the fuckin’ time.
Bug Ah, fuck this.
Turner Yeah, fuck you.
Bug walks away. Both men stand opposite, backs turned. Pause.
Bug Prick.
Turner Wanker.
Bug Cock.
Turner Cock sucker.
Bug Cunt.
Turner Cunty bollocks.
Bug Spunk ball.
Turner Spunk ball?
Bug Spunk ball.
Turner Inventive.
They take out their flasks, swig one back.
Bug Reddest sky I seen tonight.
Turner Reckon it’s gonna rain?
Bug Can’t never tell.
Turner and Bug become alert – the clack and ricochet of stag’s antlers.
Bug Stags.
Turner looks away, but Bug continues to stare out.
Turner Lucky bastards.
Bug They aint ruttin’.
Turner Next life I’m comin’ back as a stag.
Bug They chargin’ forwards, they fightin’.
Turner Fuck me they even get foreplay.
Turner sits down by the fire.
Bug What you been sayin’ earlier.
Turner Forget about that.
Bug Makes sense to me. Never thought about it but soon as you said it, had it all figured in my head. I even seen the place, Turn. Everythin’ just fell inta place . . . Except for one thing.
Turner What?
Bug How we gonna get it?
Turner Need to think it over.
Bug You said it’d be an abandoned farm?
Turner doesn’t answer, he drinks from his flask.
Bug Means it’d be outside a’ the restrictions.
Turner They all been emptied years before that.
Bug Don’t matter if it were before or after.
Turner stands, shifts about agitated.
Turner Restrictions don’t apply to us.
Bug They would if we weren’t in the Security no more.
Turner becomes still.
Turner Restrictions aint gonna be forever. (Turns to Bug.) Gotta lift ’em some time.
Bug nods and they look away from each other.
Bug Where we settin’ up for the night?
Turner Castleton.
Turner picks up his rifle
Bug Had this thing happen there.
Turner What thing?
Bug Felt somethin’ watchin’ me.
Turner What’d you mean?
Bug Even though I was sleepin’, I knew it was there.
Turner walks off.
Turner (Calls back.) I’ve dreamt a pussy and woke up fuckin’ tastin’ it.
Bug Wasn’t a dream.
Turner has left. Bug picks up his rifle and turns to leave. He stands motionless as he sees the figure of a man in the distance. The man’s head is lowered and he wears a crown made of stag’s antlers, smeared in blood. The man drops to his knees. A wind rises.
Slaughter room. Morning. The wind howls.
A deer bound by its back legs hangs down from an iron grip. The bucket directly below it collects the blood as it bleeds out. Megan is holding the knife at the deer, Mrs Peel stands behind her.
Mrs Peel Start at her crotch and take it all the way to her breast.
Megan draws the line with the blade.
Mrs Peel Don’t show her all a’ yer blade, just the tip, give enough to get under her hide.
Megan brings the blade back.
Mrs Peel You do the same thing again but this time you givin’ it more, give her a half inch, that’ll open her up. Don’t get carried away, cause if you do, you gonna be in her stomach.
Burns enters.
Burns Nearly got killed makin’ my way here.
Mrs Peel (To Megan.) Start steelin’ the blade.
Burns Some loose tiles fell not more than a foot away from me.
Mrs Peel Not seen a wind like this before, couple a’ fence posts heaved themselves clean out a’ the soil durin’ the night.
Mrs Peel sees that Burns has been drinking.
Mrs Peel Need somethin’ Burns?
Burns Listened to the radio this mornin’?
Mrs Peel We graftin’ from since six nowadays.
Burns Kings dead.
Megan stops steeling the blade.
Burns Died over there last night. They’ve lost the strong hold. They aint bringin’ anyone back.
Mrs Peel watches Burns drink from his flask.
Burns Yer gonna have two less mouths to feed as a’ tomorrow.
Mrs Peel Who been drafted?
Burns Bug and James.
Mrs Peel They bein’ replaced?
Burns No one to replace ’em. They sendin’ thousands to Venezuela. It just gonna be me and Turner out here.
The wind shrieks.
Burns Damn wind.
Mrs Peel Somethin’ cooler is settin’ in.
Burns You reckon its here to stay?
Mrs Peel I do.
Beat.
Mrs Peel Anythin’ else?
Burns Put a half bottle a’ whiskey under the sink yesterday.
Mrs Peel Already seen it.
Burns You don’t miss a trick, Mrs Peel.
Mrs Peel I got twenty twenty vision, Burns.
Turner storms in followed by Bug.
Turner We need to talk!
Burns No point talkin’ to me about it.
Bug Come on, Turn.
Turner Why aint I goin’?
Burns I don’t decide who goes and who stays.
Turner But you can do somethin’ about it.
Bug It been decided, Turn.
Turner He aint goin’ without me.
Burns Nothin’ I can do about it.
Turner This is bullshit.
Burns Turner! I wouldn’t hesitate in sendin’ you instead that boy if I could.
Turner I want to go!
Bug It aint up to him.
Turner I’m leavin’ tomorrow.
Bug You can’t do that.
Turner I’m takin’ James’s place.
Bug They won’t allow it.
Turner What the fucks he gonna do out there? He don’t know shit. He aint gonna last a week.
Bug You know the drill, Turn.
Turner Would you shut up.
Bug Ah fuck this.
Turner Yeah fuck you.
Megan (From the gut.) Stop!
Everyone turns to Megan. Pause.
Megan (Trembling.) I got a deer to skin.
James enters, Megan turns away.
Mrs Peel What d’you want?
James Hares a’ eatin’ tops a’ your courgettes.
Mrs Peel What did I tell you! Don’t just stand there –
James There’s too many a’ ’em.
Mrs Peel (Gravely.) How many?
James Five.
Mrs Peel draws her blade and breath.
Mrs Peel Megan, get yourself a shovel.
Mrs Peel rushes off.
Mrs Peel We’re bein’ overun!
Megan leaves without looking at James. Burns looks at Turner and Bug.
Burns Say we go finish the last a’ that pie?
Burns and James leave.
Bug Don’t see why you’re pissed at me.
Beat.
Bug Aint nothin’ I can do about it, Turn.
Turner It’s bullshit!
Bug It just the way it goes. You know that.
Turner Fuckin’ sick a’ it, s’what I know.
Bug Aint like I’m not comin’ back here.
Turner When! A year? Two? Three –
Bug Shit I don’t know.
Turner I do! I know that we got plans. I know that we can see them plans through. This. This here situation, don’t ruin them plans if we don’t let it. What it does is bring them plans closer. We been talkin’ about doin’ this thing later, fuck it, we do it now. We do it tonight. We camp out. We don’t come back here.
Pause.
Bug You talkin’ about bein’ an Illegal, Turn.
Turner We aint gonna be Illegals.
Bug S’what you sayin’.
Turner S’fuckin’ word that don’t mean shit for us.
Bug S’word that gets us struck off the register.
Turner We don’t need to be on it.
Bug What a’ you talkin’ about?
Turner We’d be self sufficient. We wouldn’t need any a’ their tinned hand outs. We’d be on our own and botherin’ nobody. We wouldn’t be livin’ in a squalor terrace. We’d find a place in the middle a’ nowhere, we know the drill Bug. We know where Security go and don’t go –
Bug We are Security!
Turner I know what we are. And I know what we could be.
Beat.
Bug I aint doin’ it till we can do it right. I couldn’t be alright with what I done over these years if I thought that given the chance I’d do same as them.
Turner I aint the same as them!
Bug I dint say that –
Turner I fought in war after war –
Bug I never said you dint.
Turner You never said nothin’.
Turner leaves.
Stables. Evening. Violent rain.
James waits. Megan enters.
James Dint know if you were gonna come.
Megan Just passin’ by.
James Been waitin here all night.
Megan Washed my hair.
James Haven’t had a chance –
Megan Don’t want to talk about it.
Pause.
Megan Mince hasn’t been eatin’.
Beat.
James Didn’t know that.
Megan Two days now.
James Not like him.
Beat.
Megan Chickens haven’t laid eggs.
James Had an egg this morning.
Megan You had an old egg.
Beat.
James Megan –
Megan Don’t want to talk about it.
Pause.
Megan Dropped a plate this afternoon.
Beat.
James It break?
Megan Million pieces.
James Megan stop –
Megan Don’t want to talk about it.
Beat.
Megan Beans a’ spoilt.
Beat.
Megan A tree fell.
Beat.
Megan Barn door’s smashed.
Beat.
Megan Cow’s dead.
Beat.
Megan (Cries.) Don’t want to cry about it.
James goes towards her but she steps back.
Megan Don’t want to be left behind.
James Don’t want to leave.
Megan Don’t want to be alone.
James I’m coming back.
James moves closer to her.
Megan Don’t want to wait.
James Ssshh.
Megan Don’t want to want.
James Ssshh.
Megan Don’t want to want you.
Beat.
Megan Want you.
James Want you too.
Megan Want you to love me.
James Already do.
Beat.
James Love you.
Pause.
Megan Love you.
Beat.
James I love you.
Beat.
Megan (Smiles.) I love you.
James (Smiles.) I love you.
Megan (Smiles.) I love you.
James (Laughs.) I love you!
Megan (Laughs.) I love you!
James (Shouts.) I love you!
Megan Ssshh. Want you to make love to me.
Blackout.