A dark, dingy bedroom with a single bed. West is lying on it, tied to the frame, a black canvas hood over his head. He sits up with a start, in so far as this is possible, when Carlos comes into the room, holding a piece of paper.
Carlos How are you?
West Incredibly uncomfortable.
Carlos Yes. I’m sorry about this. I hope before the end of the day we’ll be able to arrange something more satisfactory. Handcuffs.
West Sounds wonderful.
Carlos But we’re very busy at the moment.
West Think nothing of it.
Carlos I’ve come to explain why this has happened to you.
West (muffled) Does it matter?
Carlos I beg your pardon.
West Does it matter?
Carlos Well, it matters to us. And so, I suppose, in the circumstances, it matters to you as well. (Pause.) We are members of the M.R.B., the Movimento Revolucionario Brasileiro, and we have kidnapped you in order to achieve certain political aims. We have asked for the release of twenty-five political prisoners …
West Twenty-five?
Carlos Yes.
West Is that all?
Carlos Well, yes.
West But you got forty for that German.
Carlos Yes, but he was the ambassador …
West And seventy for the Swiss ambassador …
Carlos You don’t think we’ve asked for enough?
West No, I’m sure Her Majesty’s Government will feel most affronted.
Carlos Well …
West (muffled) They probably take it as some sort of slight …
Carlos What?
West I say they’re probably annoyed you didn’t kidnap the ambassador.
Carlos The security …
West I’m annoyed you didn’t kidnap the ambassador.
Carlos The security arrangements have become far more efficient recently.
West You can’t be speaking of the British Embassy.
Brief silence.
Carlos We have asked, as I say, for the release of twenty-five prominent political prisoners, together with a safe conduct and facilities for flying them to Cuba. Then we have asked for 100,000 dollars, which is merely a formality, because, as you know, these people would rather give us their mothers than part with any real cash, so that’s a kind of bargaining point. Finally, we’ve demanded, which is very important to us, that our manifesto (he indicates his piece of paper) is broadcast on TV and radio and released by the national and foreign press. I’m going to read it to you.
West Don’t.
Carlos No?
West No, don’t.
Carlos Well, we think it’s very important for you to know and understand why we’ve done this to you, which is not a thing we like to do to anybody, you know? (He reads some of the manifesto quickly through to himself, muttering.) Hmm, hmm, yes, I’ll miss out the first bit, this is about the heart of it, I think. ‘We wish to draw the attention of the world to the fact that with the passing of the Institutional Acts, and in particular the fifth Institutional Act of 13th December 1968, the military dictatorship has transformed itself into the most regressive and repressive government anywhere in the world …’
West Oh, really!
Carlos ‘The measures it has introduced include:
‘The suspension of all political rights and banning of all political parties except for the hired lackeys of the official opposition.
‘The imposition of blanket censorship and the silencing of all opposition newspapers by intimidation and compulsory withdrawal of advertising.
‘The promulgation of a law whereby “non-conformity” although nowhere defined, is described as a crime against the State.
‘The expulsion of one-quarter of the officer corps.
‘The appointment of government stooges as labour leaders and the stipulation that only candidates approved by the political police may stand in union elections.
‘The reorganization of the Supreme Court and the dismissal of those of its judges who expressed dissent. The suspension of habeas corpus.
‘The cowardice and cynicism of the military dictatorship extends from the smallest and most ludicrous details, such as the replacement of the official Senate historian …’
West Have they done that?
Carlos Yes, they have.
West Good God.
Carlos ‘… the replacement of the official Senate historian, to the most cruel and squalid barbarities such as the reintroduction in September 1969, after seventy-five years of abolition, of the death penalty, to give spurious legality to the murders of Carlos Marighela, Mario Alves, Joaquim Camara Ferreira and countless other comrades in the struggle against Fascism.
‘The military dictatorship has lined its pockets by selling our country to the interests of U.S. capitalism, which it has allowed to exploit our resources and steal our land, while our people starve and suffer all the miseries of poverty and unemployment. Meanwhile, anyone who utters the merest whisper of protest risks joining the 12,000 political prisoners, including university professors, doctors, writers, students, priests and nuns, at present suffering detention and brutal torture in the regime’s jails and concentration camps. Anyone who doubts this should visit the Department of Political and Social Order, where the corridors stink of burnt flesh, or confront the thugs of the Death Squad, whose hands are wet with innocent blood.
‘This is what we are fighting against, comrades, and we shall fight, if necessary, to the death.
‘Death to U.S. imperialism!
‘Down with the military dictatorship!’
That’s all.
West Quite enough.
Carlos What do you think?
West I could quibble with your economic analysis.
Carlos This is not an analysis. This is a simple expression of the truth.
West Well, I suppose you could look at it that way.
Carlos We do.
West Well, what the hell do you expect me to say about it? It may be true or it may not be, and if it is I’m very sorry about it, but it’s nothing to do with me.
West Look, why don’t you go away?
Carlos First I have to tell you that we’ve said our conditions must be met by 6 p.m. on Thursday. We’ve said that if they aren’t, we would have to execute you.
West Ah.
Carlos What I wanted to say to you was that we don’t expect the deadline will be met …
West What?
Carlos It hardly ever is, it’s just an arbitrary date we pick on, it sometimes takes the government a long time to agree to our terms. So you don’t need to worry if nothing’s happened by Thursday.
West Well, I’m sure that’s very thoughtful of you, but as a matter of fact, I’ve no idea what day it is, and even if I did, I couldn’t see to look at my bloody watch, could I?
Carlos That’s true, Mr West, all I wanted was to reassure you you’re not really in any danger. We have no intention of harming you, we, most of us, don’t believe in attacking civilians or foreign nationals, whatever interests they represent. And the government will certainly do what we ask before they allow you to be harmed – they may not care about their people, but they tenderly love their investors. So you shouldn’t worry too much. I know this is very inconvenient for you, but when we let you go, everyone will be very nice to you, and you can go back to England and sell your story to the papers for a few thousand pounds. You’ll be very famous.
West Well, it must be my birthday.
Carlos Someone will be in as soon as we can manage it to make you more comfortable and give you some food, I’m sure you must be hungry.
West Why did you pick on me?
Carlos For poetic reasons.
West (surprised) What do you mean?
Carlos We liked your name.
He exits quietly, without West hearing. West is silent for a moment, then he does the equivalent of drawing himself up to his full height.
West I wish to lodge a formal protest on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government against this barbaric assault on a representative of the Crown, a premeditated act of violence contrary to all …
Blackout.