The Comedians Page #4

It's much more healthy than tea or coffee.

Oh, a little more hot water, please.

How did you hurt your hip, Joseph?

Captain Concasseur's driver

ask me questions.

When I not answer, he beat me with club.

But that's shocking. Did you report it?

- Who to, ma'am?

- But is there no law or order here?

Tontons make law. Tontons make order.

You see, ma'am? They return.

Everything okay.

Thank you, again.

It would be very much in your interest

to help this project along.

Help squeeze the orange?

You're a resident of Haiti, Mr. Brown.

It's your duty to aid the Haitian people.

Where would I find them? In this car?

Martha.

Angelito's asleep. I slipped away.

Manuel says you're coming tomorrow.

I couldn't wait.

Can't you take me somewhere

where we'll really be alone?

Look at you.

Just let me look at you.

Were you really faithful

all those three months?

I wouldn't blame you.

Yes, quite faithful.

You said, in your way.

Yes, I tried to cheat,

but it wasn't any good.

And you?

Manuel wanted me.

I tried, but I couldn't.

I cried because it wasn't you.

It was an awful night,

lying awake side by side, silent,

like two bodies in a morgue.

And afterwards?

He has his pride.

- You're fond of him, aren't you?

- Yes.

Why shouldn't I be? He's a kind man.

I'm not.

I have no pride.

I steal the kind man's wife.

It's a sin against justice.

The priests at school taught me that.

There are days when I wonder,

especially on the empty afternoons...

You have a devil in you in the afternoons.

When you're not with me,

I wonder what the devil does.

I wait, that's all.

My dear, my darling,

don't torture yourself.

I still think it was unwise of you to come.

They'll consider it a political act.

Mr. Smith and I

have never been afraid of political acts.

Mr. Philipot was a friend of a friend.

It was his encouragement

that brought me here.

What is it, Madam Philipot?

What's the matter?

The Tontons will not let us pass.

And the driver, that salaud!

What the hell are they up to?

Look at them, the cowards.

They drove him to death, but they are

afraid of him even though he is dead.

People loved him,

but one must not love in Haiti.

Haiti means hate, hate!

Look at them with their guns

and their black glasses.

There must be some terrible mistake.

- It's no mistake.

- What else could it be?

If you stay long enough,

you'll soon find out.

I think we'd all better go back to the hotel.

And leave my husband here? Never.

Mrs. Smith,

I think Joseph had better take you back.

If there's going to be trouble,

I'll stay right here with Madam Philipot.

I stay with my wife. Now what do we do?

Well, we just wait for them and listen.

I wish you'd come with me.

It'd be better for all of us.

On your way. Bully!

Stop him! Tell him to stop! Tell him to...

You pig! Let me go!

Take it easy.

- A gallant victory.

- I had my orders.

We hang men in Europe

for obeying orders.

A place called Nuremberg.

Monsieur Brown,

I don't like the way you speak.

You make a living here, huh?

You hit one of my guests.

Your guests will soon leave,

but you will stay on, alone.

It's an outrage.

I'm going to telephone

President Duvalier himself.

It's all right, dear. I'm not hurt.

I'm afraid the telephones here

seldom work.

And in any case, the President

probably gave the orders himself.

It's disgusting!

- Lf you hadn't stopped me...

- I thought you were a pacifist, Mr. Smith.

I am. I was.

I mean, we sometimes have ideals

we can't always live up to.

Good evening, Mr. Brown.

I'm glad you came. Can I get you a drink?

Yes, scotch on the rocks,

if you don't mind.

- Please.

- Thank you.

Do you like it?

I took it in Rio de Janeiro

when I was First Secretary there.

- It's a very good likeness.

- Yes.

She was very happy in Rio.

Our child was born there.

I invited a dozen people.

You're the only one to turn up,

except Dr. Magiot, of course.

He's upstairs with my wife and son.

People are staying indoors.

Who can blame them?

- Philipot's death.

- Philipot's interrupted funeral.

When the President runs amuck,

wise men stay at home.

I hardly expected to see you.

I don't concern myself with politics.

I support the economy

when there are tourists.

- Is the whisky to your liking?

- Yes, thank you, it's very good.

I sometimes feel ashamed

at our sheltered diplomatic existence

with Tontons at the door to prevent

poor hunted men from coming in.

They're all over the place.

You must have seen

our good friends at the door.

Well, there are some more here

to watch the garage.

Three of them. Usually, there are only two.

I can hardly complain.

They are there, they tell me,

for my protection.

I wonder, Mr. Brown, why you ever

came back here from New York.

Well, the hotel, I couldn't abandon it.

I'd like to know New York.

Perhaps one of these days,

you will be posted to Washington.

No, I'll never be posted there.

My wife's German, you know.

Yes, I know, but the war's been over now

for 20 years.

Her father was executed as a war criminal

in the American zone.

- Perhaps you don't know that.

- No. No, I didn't.

- Does she know?

- Oh, yes.

She was only a child, of course,

but she remembers him with tenderness.

The judges

had very good reasons, unfortunately.

It's a horrifying world.

I sometimes think that Haiti's no different

from life anywhere.

Oh, good evening, Mr. Brown.

My husband said

you wouldn't venture out tonight.

I thought you would.

Oh, your glass is empty.

Good evening, Doctor.

You dared the streets tonight, too, huh?

Of course, I had a patient.

- And how is Angelito?

- Not on the danger list.

Oh, that little devil,

he's turned me out of bed.

He now says

he can't sleep without his mother.

Driven me into exile.

The exile will not be a long one.

We are all of us exiles, Doctor, except you.

Exiles from England,

South America, Germany.

What part of Germany

did you come from, Mrs. Pineda?

The only part I remember is Nuremberg.

Remembered for its toys.

Mr. Philipot.

Dr. Magiot. Mr. Brown.

Henri,

how nice to see you.

Well, I'm sorry I took so long about it.

But here it is, the companion piece.

Oh, how exciting. Let's see.

No, please, open it later

when I'm not here.

I'm always a little nervous when people

look at something I've just done.

All right.

We were deeply shocked

by what happened at your uncle's funeral.

In fact, I tried to organize a protest

from the Diplomatic Corps.

- Yes?

- Yes.

- They were very diplomatic.

- They were right.

Words break no bones.

I had warned my aunt

not to bury him publicly.

I kept well away.

- You mean, you didn't go?

- I put a certain value on my life.

Quite right, too, Philipot.

Your job's painting, not politics.

Do you remember that time in the Trianon

about two years ago

when we showed some of your pictures?

Yes, a long way after Rouault,

weren't they?

I think you should let your aunt

and the boy come and stay here.

- At least, they'd be safe.

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