Affair in Trinidad Page #5

I have no family.

But all my friends said I deserved one,

so I invented that crest. Why?

Nothing.

I just have a feeling

I've seen it somewhere before.

Well, shall we have our brandy

on the terrace?

Excuse me.

Rotten, corrupted, decadent!

Why, it is intolerable

that we should be forced to deal with you.

No, it's you who are intolerable.

Intolerably stupid, dull, overbearing...

Veronica, please.

Mr. Walters, I must ask you to refrain

from addressing my wife in such a manner.

Oh, I address your wife as she deserves.

Drunk in every cheap bar in Havana.

- She's no better than a...

- My dear, please.

- Oh, shut up.

- Why make a scene?

- You dare? You dare to slap my face?

- Slap your face?

- I ought to claw your eyes out.

- Veronica, Walters.

Be quiet, all of you.

There are other people in the house.

- Really?

- What people?

Should we have come earlier, Max, or later?

You're not supposed to return till tomorrow.

- Why have you come back tonight?

- Because I insisted on it.

- I told them, Max. I told them we shouldn't.

- Never mind now, Franz.

Since you are here,

I suggest you come in and meet my friends.

And try to appear normal.

I'm afraid it sounded like a native uprising,

but it was only my houseguests

returning from a long journey.

- This is Mrs. Huebling. Mrs. Emery.

- Oh, how do you do, Mrs. Emery?

- And her brother-in-law.

- I heard so much about you.

I hope we're not too late for the floor show.

When does it go on?

Well, it seems to be on right now.

Why, Max, she's witty as well.

How nice for you.

I must apologize for Veronica.

She has a tendency to be rude

when she's tired.

I'm not tired. I'm slightly drunk.

Oh, hello.

Max didn't tell me anything about you.

- Veronica, my dear.

- Oh, stop picking at me like a sparrow.

What a wonderful world.

At 7:
00 this evening,

we're all hating each other in Jamaica,

and now, only three hours later,

we're loathing each other in Trinidad.

Thank you, Max.

Veronica,

some people are mellowed by drink.

- I suggest you have another.

- Thank you, darling. I will.

But I'm not promising to pass out.

Oh!

- Thank you.

- Veronica.

Excuse me.

- This is my good friend Peter Bronec.

- How do you do?

Mr. Emery, Mr. Bronec.

- Yes, we came down on the plane together.

- Oh?

Feeling better, Mr. Bronec?

Yes, yes, of course.

You didn't tell me you were ill, Peter.

I was not ill, Max.

- It is just sometimes on the plane that I...

- You're stammering again.

- No, I'm not. I...

- Quite badly.

Let's hope this little vacation will cure that.

If you'll excuse me,

I have some letters to write.

- This is Mr. Walters.

- How do you do?

And Dr. Huebling.

How do you do, Mr. Emery?

- Dr. Franz Huebling?

- Yes.

Didn't you write some articles

on the V-2 rocket just after the war?

Oh, I used to dabble.

Just a few little experiments.

All outdated now, like the spinning wheel.

- You are interested in such matters?

- Yeah, I used to dabble a bit myself,

flying a B-29.

Franz, you must all be hungry.

Why don't you tell the chef

to fix you something?

Yes, Max, of course.

And you, Mr. Walters, you can join us later

if you're not too tired.

We'll be on the terrace.

Shall we go?

Don't be so greedy, Max.

You can show Mrs. Emery the moonlight,

but I'm keeping Mr. Emery here with me.

You don't mind, do you?

I'm sure they don't.

Besides, you wouldn't want me

to drink by myself, would you?

I've been cooped up in Max's plane

for three hours with three very dull men.

But you're not dull.

Oh. You are dull.

Any man who can't keep his eyes

off another woman is dull.

Might have known you'd be in love with her.

Oh, yes.

You're in love with her, and so is Max,

and who knows how many others?

What is it about her?

Is it that dance she does?

Maybe I ought to learn to dance.

And let me see. What is it she does?

A chick a chick boom chick boom

A chick a chick boom chick boom

A chick a chick boom chick boom

Chris, there are so many things

I've wanted to say to you.

When Neal was alive, I couldn't. But now...

Surely you must know how I feel.

No, Max, I don't.

I thought

the symptoms were rather obvious.

The young man inside recognized them.

- Steve?

- Yes. And he didn't like them.

He's jealous. But I can't blame him.

I'm jealous, too.

Oh, but you shouldn't be.

Chris, I'll be leaving Trinidad

as soon as my affairs here are settled,

- and I was hoping that...

- Affairs?

I thought you were a man of leisure.

I could be, if it would please you.

Well, why should you rearrange your life

for me?

I want to, for both of us.

We could do anything you like,

go wherever you like.

Paris, Cairo, Seville...

Oh, it sounds wonderful, Max,

but, well, how can I decide so quickly?

There's so little I know about you.

You know that I couldn't stay away

from the Caribe while you were there,

that I came every night for months

because of you.

- And you must know that...

- I suddenly feel cold.

Funny, isn't it, on a night like this?

No, wait here. I'll get your scarf.

I want to finish this conversation.

I told him nothing on the plane.

Nothing, I swear it.

- Why get upset?

- None of you believe me.

- Of course we believe you.

- Why must I stay?

I have done everything I promised.

My work is almost finished.

- Could you complete it this evening?

- Yes.

I'll work all night if I have to.

Then you can leave in the morning.

Thank you. Thank you, Max.

Max!

You must get your friends

out of this house immediately.

Why? Has some new calamity arisen?

We had to carry Mrs. Huebling upstairs,

and your friend Mr. Emery is with her.

That woman is not responsible.

She might say anything

in her drunken babbling.

I'll be up in a moment.

Meantime, even at the risk

of dislocating your personality,

try to be calm.

Chris?

I'm sorry I kept you waiting,

but we seem to be having

some sort of domestic crisis.

Mrs. Huebling is in quite a state,

for some reason or other.

Oh.

Well, perhaps it would be better

if Steve and I left.

Yes, perhaps it would. I'm terribly sorry.

- There'll be other evenings.

- I hope so.

As a matter of fact,

I'm giving a birthday party next Thursday.

Your being here

would give me something to celebrate.

- Will you come?

- I'd love to.

Good.

You shouldn't have left, Mr. Walters.

She had some very interesting things

to say about you.

She's a very sick woman, very sick.

Did you two use up all the moonlight?

We're leaving, Steve.

Leaving? Why?

I thought you were having

such a good time.

Well, I'm tired and it's rather late.

I'm sorry this was not

a more successful evening, Mr. Emery.

Well, I know how hard you tried.

Better luck next time.

Mr. Emery.

Good night, sir.

- Good night, Doctor.

- And thank you very much.

Anytime.

This whole situation

is becoming impossible.

I'm in the midst of a nightmare.

A nightmare!

Where else could we meet?

And your wife!

Can't you control this woman?

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