Scene 7

The girls are warming up after the experiment. They are in their bedroom, speaking in hushed tones.

ANGELIQUE

What do you think of him?

POUBELLE

Who?

ANGELIQUE

Do you know how long?

POUBELLE

Three nights.

ANGELIQUE

You'll freeze out there.

POUBELLE

He told me to get some socks and bring a blanket. He's coming in a minute.

ANGELIQUE

Pauvre Poubelle

POUBELLE

All that chain-link. Every time I gaze out the land is cut up into little diamonds.

ANGELIQUE

Will you let me know you're okay?

POUBELLE

I'll knock three times.

ANGELIQUE

Who was that man?

POUBELLE

His new assistant, I guess. Splits, would you take a look at my shoulder?

ANGELIQUE looks at her shoulder.

How is it?

ANGELIQUE

Bleu, miserable bruise.

POUBELLE

I hit it pretty hard.

ANGELIQUE

If Maman were here she'd put arnica and peppermint on it.

POUBELLE

Ah, oui, the smell of it slathered on our knees as we learned to ride bikes.

ANGELIQUE

You'd better pack quickly.

POUBELLE

Chocolat chaud avec des guimauves.

ANGELIQUE does her best to tend to her sister's bruise. POUBELLE folds up a blanket to be taken outside.

ANGELIQUE

What do you think of that new docteur?

POUBELLE

Same garbage, different pile.

ANGELIQUE

I mean what he looks like. Here, take my socks. Hurry.

POUBELLE

I don't know. He doesn't have as many ear hairs as Monsieur.

ANGELIQUE

I don't think he has any at all. He's much younger.

POUBELLE

A, bien, he's younger; that means he'll be around longer to poke and prod at the world. Ouch!

ANGELIQUE

Sorry.

POUBELLE

It's tender.

ANGELIQUE

Belle, what would you do if you got away?

POUBELLE

I would never leave without you.

GLASS enters.

GLASS

Let's go, Poubelle. You know the drill.

POUBELLE

Out to sleep in the cold like a dog.

GLASS

You should have thought about that before.

POUBELLE

Oui, Monsieur. Au revoir, Splits!

ANGELIQUE

Au revoir, ma bleue.

GLASS walks POUBELLE out to the porch. Once he has left, POUBELLE finds a corner and knocks three times. ANGELIQUE knocks in return. The girls speak in their separate areas.

POUBELLE

A wall is a wall but cannot pull us apart.

ANGELIQUE

You cannot separate what is joined in the heart.

POUBELLE

Une nuit brillante illumine le ciel.

ANGELIQUE

Good night and sleep tight, my little Poubelle.