Untouchable

Marille ("marry")

Lorne

Scene One

(Marille sits downstage, cross-legged, back to the audience. Lorne stands to the right, his arms folded. A clock chimes twice in the background. Lorne steps forward.)

Lorne: Are you ready to grow up yet, little girl?

Marille: raises hand, lowers it to her lap

Lorne: No? Well, you just give me a shout when you are, right?

Marille: raises hand, raises middle finger, lowers it to her lap

Lorne: I shall take that delightful gesture as a yes.

(Lorne leaves)

(Marille turns to face the audience and uncrosses her legs. She crawls to the front-centre of the stage. She kneels, her arms outstretched, fingers groping. After a minute she lets her arms drop. She closes her eyes.)

Marille: Lorne.

(Silence)

Marille: Lorne!

(Silence)

Marille: Lorne come here at once!

(Lorne enters, stands where he did before, arms folded. He smiles.)

Lorne: Are you ready to grow up yet, little girl?

Marille: pause yes. Pause Can you teach me?

Lorne: Teach you what? To grow up?

Marille: No. Pause To be a good girl.

Lorne: Yes Marille, I can teach you to be a good girl - but that involves growing up. Are you ready to do that, little girl?

Marille: I'm not a little girl. Pause But yes, I am.

Lorne: Then I'll teach you. Stand up Marille, let me have a good look at you.

(Marille stands, turns to face Lorne. She closes her eyes.)

Lorne: pause Yes, you'll do just fine. I shall teach you - how to be a good girl and how to grow up. But first.apologise to me.

Marille: What for?

Lorne: For your delightful hand gesture, what else? I found it quite offensive. I'll forget your little episode earlier if you apologise now.

Marille: pause, hesitant Sorry.

Lorne: Good, that's one thing grown up people must do. Admit when they've done wrong. Growing up won't be so difficult, will it?

Marille: No, I suppose not. Pause Is it difficult being a good girl?

Lorne: If you do what I tell you, then no it isn't. If you have another episode like today's then yes, it will be very difficult. Do you want this to be easy or hard, Marille?

Marille: Hard. Pause No, easy. Easy takes less time.

Lorne: That's right; it does take less time to do things the easy way. And why's that?

Marille: There are no problems or trouble when you do things the easy way.

Lorne: Very good. You'll make a fine One, Marille - all you need to do is try. Now, will you take my hand and come with me?

Marille: I will come with you, but I will not take your hand.

Lorne: Why not? What is wrong with my hand?

Marille: Nothing. Pause It is a little dirty, but nothing. Pause

Lorne: Then why won't you take it?

Marille: I wish to grow up now, I don't need your hand.

Lorne: pause, a smile Very good, I'm impressed. Five minutes in the Corner has done you wonders, hasn't it Marille? But I'd much prefer it if I don't have to tell you to sit in the Corner again, yes? Grown up boys and girls don't need the Corner because they're good people. You want to be good, don't you?

Marille: Yes. Pause I want to be very good. Pause I want to be the best.

Lorne: I'm not sure about the best just yet, Marille, but 'good' is certainly in your reach. Will you be sent to the Corner again today?

Marille: No. Pause I am now a good girl. Pause I am now grown up. Pause I'll never be sent to the corner again.

Lorne: smiles Very well then, that's what I like to hear from you Marille. What a responsible and sweet girl you can be! Now, if you'd be so kind, please follow me and we'll rejoin the Others. Are you ready?

Marille: Yes. Pause Must I take your hand?

Lorne: No. Grown up boys and girls don't need to take daddy's hand do they?

Marille: No. Pause But you're not my daddy.

Lorne: You're quite right, and neither would I want to be.

(Silence)

Lorne: I'm sorry, that was cruel.

Marille: Yes. It was. Pause Very cruel, and I admire that. No one is cruel to me anymore. That felt good, it almost made me.human again.

Lorne: Nothing can make you human again. Pause You're too far gone. But that's okay. You're learning.

Marille: .I don't wish to be human. I wish to be good.

Lorne: Goodness and righteousness is a part of humanity. You take one, you get the other.

Marille: Then I wish not to be good!

Lorne: Then you shall sit in the corner and not rejoin the Others!

Marille: Then I shall! And I will find what it is that makes you human and I shall crush it!

Lorne: Please do so, if not so I don't have to look at you!

Marille: Come closer, I'll gouge out your eyes, then there's no need to look at anything at all!

Lorne: I'd do it myself if I were to have a fork!

Marille: You don't need a fork, my finger nails are sharper than any utensil!

Lorne: THEN DO IT!

(Lorne drops to his knees in front of Marille, his eyes closed. Neither of them moves.)

Marille: Get up. Go away.

Lorne: Gouge out my eyes. I'm waiting.

Marille: No. Pause I will get blood on my dress.

Lorne: Why should you care for blood after all you've done to me?

Marille: I have done nothing to you. Pause Not yet. Now go away, Lorne.

Lorne: (stands) I will go away, but not because you tell me to. I will go because you make me sick.

Marille: Then hurry away, there's no room for vomit here.

Lorne: Get in the corner.

Marille: I will. Pause When you've gone away.

Lorne: Very well. Please do inform me when you intend to grow up.

(Exit Lorne.)

(Marille walks to centre stage, kneels, and gropes the air.)

Marille: Where is it.? I swear I almost have it.

(She turns and crawls to the corner. She sits cross-legged, her back to the audience.)

Marille: I almost have it.

(Curtain.)