Scene 28

The twins are in their room. ANGELIQUE throws open the trap door.

POUBELLE

What are you doing?

ANGELIQUE

I have to get away from here.

POUBELLE

But the tunnel—

ANGELIQUE

Is it finished?

POUBELLE

Almost.

ANGELIQUE

Then give me the shovel! I have to get out of here.

POUBELLE

Angelique, keep your voice down! Just wait.

ANGELIQUE

Non, I just want to get out. I just want to be alone.

POUBELLE

Une minute—

ANGELIQUE

Non, don't you see? He caught you. Poubelle, he caught you too? He's—we're his experiment!

POUBELLE

We've always been the monsieur's experi—

ANGELIQUE

Non! Max! We're his! Let's go! Now! Let's please just leave this place.

POUBELLE

Ssssh! Qu'est-ce que vous dites?

ANGELIQUE

I saw!

POUBELLE

Saw what?

ANGELIQUE

I saw you with him. Why didn't you tell me?

POUBELLE

Why didn't you tell me?

ANGELIQUE

What?

POUBELLE

I saw you. I saw you in our room, when I was in the hole, when I was getting us out of here. I just never thought you would lie to me.

ANGELIQUE

I never lied to you.

POUBELLE

You never told me.

ANGELIQUE

I—what about you! Why didn't you tell me?

POUBELLE

It wasn't the same.

ANGELIQUE

i saw you!

POUBELLE

Shhhh, quiet! No, you—

ANGELIQUE

Poubelle! I saw you in his room! I saw him kiss you.

POUBELLE

It wasn't the same thing. I did it for you.

ANGELIQUE

Pour moi!

POUBELLE

He, he doesn't know. He—I saw you, I saw how you were, so I—he thinks I was you.

ANGELIQUE

What were you doing?

POUBELLE

I told him that you didn't want him.

ANGELIQUE

quoi!

POUBELLE

Shhh, keep your voice down! I saw it; I saw it and we would never leave. I knew you had to go.

ANGELIQUE

You took away the one thing that was my very own, Poubelle! You're jealous!

POUBELLE

I am not!

ANGELIQUE

You are! You can never let me—you have to control everything so that it suits you. You are just like the monsieur!

POUBELLE

I am nothing like the monsieur!

ANGELIQUE

You are! You are digging this for what? So we can be free? Don't you see that we'll never be free this way? If we cannot, if I can never, if you never let me, how is it different from le monsieur? How are you any different?

POUBELLE

I did what is best for you!

ANGELIQUE

Non! You didn't! You did what was best for you!

POUBELLE

Be quiet! You want those doctors to dig into, rip everything out of you, and lay it out on their table?

ANGELIQUE

I just want—I wanted a chance to find something out for myself!

POUBELLE

I was saving you!

ANGELIQUE

NON! You have taken the only freedom I had away from me. i just want you to leave me alone!

They stare at each other. GLASS enters.

GLASS

What is going on here?

POUBELLE

Nothing, Monsieur.

GLASS

What is that?

POUBELLE

It's nothing, Monsieur… a, une place pour les legumes.

GLASS

ENGLISH!

ANGELIQUE

It's a root cellar, Monsieur.

GLASS

And what are you doing with that root cellar?

POUBELLE

Rien, nothing, Monsieur!

GLASS

What is that shovel doing here?

GLASS walks over to the hole.

What have you girls been up to? What is this? Are you trying to dig out of here?

ANGELIQUE

Non, Monsieur!

GLASS

Then explain yourself!

ANGELIQUE

It was a game, Monsieur, just a game.

GLASS

Like your stories? Why do you look like that, Angelique? Why are you crying? Come here!

ANGELIQUE

Non! Please!

POUBELLE

It was me, Monsieur. It was all my fault. I just thought… I dug the hole and was trying to make Angelique leave. She's crying because she doesn't want to go.

GLASS

Is that true, Angelique?

POUBELLE

It's true, Monsieur. Look at her, she doesn't want to go… I was forcing her to go.

GLASS

You'll never change, will you?

ANGELIQUE

Non, Monsieur! It's not all her—

GLASS

Enough! Poubelle, come here!

now!

POUBELLE goes to GLASS.

ANGELIQUE

Please! Please let her go!

GLASS

You're not leaving me!

GLASS leaves with POUBELLE.

ANGELIQUE

Don't, please don't take her away.

POUBELLE

Just take me; she doesn't want me to stay.