Rada - A Drama of War in One Act | Page 3

on your clothes. That's red paint, isn't it?
ARRAM Can't help it. Santa Claus--that is my name. What's yours?
SUBKA Mine? Subka!
ARRAM I've a little girl At home called Subka! Just about your age.
SUBKA You didn't come down the chimney. [To MICHAEL.] He didn't, did he? [She runs to the stocking and examines it.] There's nothing in the stocking.
ARRAM Ah, Subka, That remains to be seen; that remains to be seen.
SUBKA [Pointing to MICHAEL.] Well, who is that?
ARRAM The man that carries my bag.
SUBKA [With a sudden note of fear in her voice.] Mother, where's Father?
RADA [Putting her arm round her.] He will soon be here. It's all right, darling.
SUBKA Has the gramophone come?
RADA Yes, darling, long ago.
SUBKA You never told me.
NANKO That was a secret, Subka, a great secret.
SUBKA I thought, perhaps, you were getting the Christmas tree ready. Can't we? Father won't mind.
NANKO [Putting the Christmas tree out from the corner.] Ah, here it is. Now that's a good idea. It's Christmas Eve. We'll get it ready.
ARRAM Here, put it on the table.
NANKO What shall we hang on it?
MICHAEL What do you think Of that, now? [He hangs a revolver on the tree.]
SUBKA [Clapping her hands.] O! O! What a great big pistol! That'll be Father's present! And now what else? What else?
ARRAM Well, Subka, what do you say to a ring? How prettily it hangs upon the bough! See, Subka!
SUBKA Why, it's just like Father's ring!
ARRAM [Striking a light.] And now we'll light the candles.
NANKO [Clapping his hands and dancing.] Yes that's right! Light all the little candles on the tree! O, doesn't the pistol shine, doesn't the ring Glitter!
SUBKA But O, it is like Father's ring. He had a little piece of Mother's hair Plaited inside it, just like that. It is My father's ring!
RADA No. There are many others Just like it, Subka,--hundreds, hundreds of others.
MICHAEL And now, what's in that package over there?
SUBKA The gramophone! O, that's the gramophone! That's Father's Christmas present to us all.
NANKO O, what a wonderful man the doctor was. Nobody else, in these parts, would have thought Of buying a gramophone. Let's open it!
SUBKA Yes! Yes! And we'll give Father a surprise. It shall be playing a tune when he comes in.
[ARRAM opens the package. NANKO capers round, rubbing his hands.]
NANKO O, this will be a merry Christmas Eve. There now--just see how this kind gentleman Has opened the package for us. Doesn't it show The value of training, military training? That's what we want. It benefits the health. Sets a man up. Look at old Peter's legs, He's a disgrace to the nation, a disgrace! Nobody shoots him, either. So he spoils Everything; for you know, you must admit, Subka, that war means natural selection, Survival of the fittest, don't you see? For instance, I survive, and you survive; Don't we? So Peter shouldn't spoil it all. They say that all the tall young men in France Were killed in the Napoleonic wars, So that most Frenchmen at the present day Are short and fat. Isn't that funny, Subka? [She laughs.] Which shows us that tall men are not required To-day. So nobody knows. Perhaps thin legs Like Peter's may be useful after all In aeroplanes or something. Every ounce Makes a great difference there. Nobody knows. It's natural selection, after all. Survival of the fittest! Don't you see? Ah, now the gramophone's ready. Make it play "Proud Nikephor Determined!"
MICHAEL [Taking out a record.] Why, look here! Here is the tune for Christmas Eve.
ARRAM [_While he speaks he looks to outer door, and draws a curtain over the window._] Don't do it! Don't start it playing if you want to keep This Christmas party to ourselves, my boy. The men are mad with drink and--other things. Look here, Michael, what are we going to do About this youngster, eh?
MICHAEL Better keep quiet Till morning. When the men have slept it off They'll stand a better chance of slipping away.
NANKO O, what a pity, Subka! I did think That we should have some music. Well--I know! Tell us the Christmas piece you learned in school. That's right! Stand there! No! Stand up on the bench. Your mother tells me that you won the prize For learning it so beautifully, Subka. That's right. These good kind gentlemen shall hear Your Christmas piece.
SUBKA It's about the first Christmas. [Her hands behind her as if in school, she obeys him.] She laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,