Class of 29 | Page 8

bloody.
[MARTIN pours himself tea. KEN squints at posters, LAURA munches sandwich and giggles.] Comrade Martin--bring on your material dialectics.
[Before MARTIN has chance to answer, TIPPY'S voice sings stridently, as he comes marching in.]
TIPPY. Belaya armeya chornee barone Snova gotovyat nam tsarskee trone
[He is now in. A towel is tied about his head with a big blotch of red ink over Ms temple. He carries a broom as a flagstaff to which a red bandanna handkerchief is attached as a red flag.]
No ot tigee do bretanskeye morye Armeya krasnaya vsekh seelnaye.
[On chorus, MARTIN'S better voice cuts in strong. He seizes LAURA by the arm, forcing her to march with TIPPY. And KEN, beating time with goose step, also sings.]
ALL. Tak poost Zheh krasnaya Shumayet vlasno Svoe shtik mozoleestoy rookoy Es vse dolshnee mwee Neudersheemo Ette v poslednee sharkee boy. [This chorus repeats.]
[The BISHOP has appeared in the open doorway; they do not see him and march and sing lustily, BISHOP HOLDEN stands and watches them in growing consternation. They see him and stop suddenly. Only MARTIN'S voice finishes the last line.]
LAURA. Bishop Holden!
BISHOP. What is this?
KEN. Hello, Dad.
TIPPY. Just a bit of fun. [He tosses the broom with its flag into a corner, but has forgotten to take off bandage. He steps up and offers his hand to the Bishop.] How are you, sir?
BISHOP. [Shaking hands.] What is the matter with your head?
TIPPY. Oh Jesus! [Yanks off towel.]
BISHOP. Were you rehearsing for a theatrical?
TIPPY. Full dress. My wound was dressed with red ink.
BISHOP. And that song you were singing? I couldn't quite place it.
MARTIN. That's a Red Army song.
BISHOP. Red Army?
MARTIN. Soviet--Russian.
BISHOP. So you were all engaged in a little burlesque? Sorry to have disturbed you.
MARTIN. Tippy was making it burlesque. He refuses to take anything seriously.
BISHOP. And the--uh--occasion?
MARTIN. The occasion was that I had just brought home those posters.
BISHOP. [Looking at the posters.] Ah, I see.
MARTIN. How do you like them?
BISHOP. The lettering has some Greek characters. I take it that is Russian?
KEN. Of course, dad. They're Soviet posters.--A rather distinctive form of art.
BISHOP. Ah, it is the unique art and the martial music you find entertaining--or were you burlesquing a Communist meeting?
KEN. It was just Tippy's idea of fun.
BISHOP. [Not quite satisfied.] But you were all singing that song as if you know it well.
LAURA. Martin's always singing it--till we've memorized it without the least idea what it means.
BISHOP. [Satisfied.] Ah yes, of course. I once learned a Japanese song.
MARTIN. I'm studying Russian.
KEN. It's quite a language, dad. It would be easy for you with your knowledge of Greek.
BISHOP. Are you studying Russian, too?
KEN. Martin's been teaching me a little. I wish I had your linguistic preparation for it.
BISHOP. I learned Greek so I could read the Gospels in the original tongue.
TIPPY. That's why they're learning Russian.
BISHOP. The Gospels in Russian?
TIPPY. Saint Marx, Saint Engels, Saint Lenin and Saint Stalin.
BISHOP. But--if you mean Karl Marx, he wrote in German.
TIPPY. Hitler had him translated into Russian so the Germans couldn't read him.
BISHOP. You're a very witty young man. Your sense of humor will save you from any dangerous doctrine.
MARTIN. His sense of humor saves him from anything serious.
BISHOP. While I don't approve of a flippant attitude toward life, it is far better than accepting dangerous and destructive doctrines--such as Russian Communism.
MARTIN. Dangerous to world capitalism--but constructive of a new civilization.
BISHOP. Young man, may I ask if you are American born?
MARTIN. I was born on a Dakota farm. My father was an American kulak. An insurance company expropriated him.
LAURA. Bishop Holden didn't come to get into arguments with you boys.
BISHOP. Another time, perhaps. I think I could convince you that you're following a dangerous delusion.
MARTIN. Thanks, Laura. You're right. I'll run along.
TIPPY. I'll go with you. I've a bit of shopping I ought to do.
MARTIN. I'll get your hat. [Goes to bedroom.]
BISHOP. And how is your business progressing, Timothy? Kenneth wrote me about it. Don't be ashamed of it. Don't be ashamed of honest labor, young man.--You are boarding dogs, I believe.
TIPPY. No. I have no place for that. I only wash them.
BISHOP. You wash them and they pay you?
TIPPY. Yes sir. That is, I wash the dogs, and the people pay me.
BISHOP. Ah yes. I understand.
[MARTIN comes out with TIPPY'S hat. Picks up his own.]
TIPPY. Clean dogs for clean people.
MARTIN. Lap dogs for kept women.--People are desperate and destitute.--And Tippy washes dogs for a living!
BISHOP. It's a sad world. It's true that some have too much, and many have too little....
MARTIN. But we mustn't protest. The meek shall inherit the earth!
BISHOP. And the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.
MARTIN. I respect any man for his convictions. But it seems to me, sir, if you want to save the church when the revolution comes to America, you had better see