The Golden Age of the Piano Page #3

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This is all I have.

Bring that back!

Is it all right?

Why don't you play something?

What will I play?

Play a jig.

- Do I know any jigs?

- Play a song then.

Why won't she play? We get the

thing back, she just wanders off.

Keep playing.

Wait! Wait!

Why can't I?

I shan't practise and I don't care!

Blast and damn! Bugger her!

Bloody... bloody... bugger her!

Let her fall face down

in boiling... bloody... mud!

Let a mad dog bite her

till she bleeds!

- Where's your mother gone?

- TO HELL!

So, what brings you here?

Did you leave something?

I've not found anything.

Does he know something?

The piano was not harmed?

It arrived safely?

Would you like to sit?

I am going to sit.

Ada...

Ada.

I am unhappy...

because I... want you...

because my mind has seized on you

and can think of nothing else.

This is why I suffer.

I...

am sick with longing.

I don't eat. I don't sleep.

So, if you've come

with no feeling for me...

then go.

Go.

Go.

Get out.

Leave!

What?

Whisper it.

Now you are going I am miserable.

Why is that?

Ada, I need to know - what will

you do? Will you come again?

Wait...

I don't know what you're thinking.

Does this mean something to you?

I already miss you.

Ada...

do you love me?

Come tomorrow.

If you are serious, come tomorrow.

Mumma, stay still!

MUMMA! MUMMA!

THEY'RE PLAYING YOUR PIANO!

Here, Papa.

You shouldn't have gone up there.

I don't like it, and nor does Papa.

We can play cards if you like.

She's asleep. Look.

One night she was found

on the road to London.

Grandpa said

her feet were cut very badly.

Ada.

Alisdair, is it

because of our play?

Have the natives aggressed you?

You've done the wrong thing here.

You've put the latch

on the outside.

Now when you close the door,

it will be the Maoris

that lock you in.

With the latch on that side,

you are quite trapped.

Quite trapped.

George Baines has been taken over.

No wonder he is leaving.

He got in too deep

with the natives.

- They sit as proud as kings...

- ... but without any manners!

He's quite altered. As if

they've tried witchcraft on him.

- Well, in two days he'll be gone.

- So Baines is packing up?

He's nothing to pack, but he's

leaving. And it is just as well.

Nessie has foolishly

grown fond of him.

- We have had tears.

Stop it! Stop!

STOP!

I am frightened of the way back.

We must leave in good light.

Will we be safe?

Oh, yes - if you leave now.

Nessie, hold this.

I am thinking of the piano.

She does not play it

as we do, Nessie. Up! Up!

No. She is a strange creature.

And her playing is strange...

like a mood that passes into you.

Up!

Now, your playing is plain and true

and that is what I like.

To have a sound creep

inside you is not pleasant.

What's that?

It's a pigeon.

I should have waited.

I want to touch you.

Why can't I touch you?

Don't you like me?

Come on, Lucky! Who'll be

my friend? I'm coming to get you!

We must... get on.

I've decided to...

trust you to stay here.

You won't see Baines?

Good.

Good.

Perhaps with time...

you might come to like me.

Stop complaining, I said. Be quiet.

You can stay naked until

I finish washing your clothes.

I don't mind if you're cold.

Be quiet!

No, we're not supposed

to visit him.

What?!

The grand old Duke of York

He had ten thousand men

He marched them up

to the top of the hill

And marched them down again

And when they're up, they're up

And when they're down, they're down

And when they're only halfway up

They're neither up nor down

Crooked, Mister Tewart.

Crooked.

Mother said to give this

to Mr Baines.

I thought maybe it was not

the proper thing to do.

- Shall I open it?

- No. Give it to me.

Why? I trusted you!

I TRUSTED YOU! I TRUSTED YOU!

D'YOU HEAR?!

Why do you make me hurt you?!

We could be happy.

YOU MAKE ME ANGRY! SPEAK!

YOU LIED TO ME!

SPEAK! OR, BY GOD,

YOU WILL ANSWER FOR THIS!

DO YOU LOVE HIM?!

DO YOU?!

- IS IT HIM YOU LOVE?!

- SHE SAYS... NO!

MOTHER!

Mumma!

Give this to Baines.

Tell him if he ever sees her again,

I'll take off another...

and another and another...

- Mumma!

- RUN!

What has happened?

Hush, hush!

What is it?

If you see her, he'll chop her up!

What happened? Tell me.

TELL ME!

Where is she?

Ssh! Quiet down! Where is she?!

HE CHOPPED IT OFF!

What did she tell him?

What did she tell him?

- I am going to crush his skull!

- NO! NO! NO!

He'll chop them off!

You pushed me too hard.

You cannot send love to him.

Just even... even to think

about it makes me very angry.

I meant to love you.

I clipped your wing, that's all.

We will be together

You will see it will be better

Are you hot? My sweet love bird.

Are you feeling better?

What?

Look at you.

It's your face.

I've had that face in my head -

hating it.

But now I'm here seeing it -

it's nothing.

You have your marks.

You look at me through your eyes.

You're even afraid of me.

Get up.

Baines,

has Ada ever spoken to you?

You mean in signs?

No. Words.

Have you ever heard words?

No. Not words.

You never thought you heard words?

I heard it here. I heard her voice.

There in my head.

The lips didn't make the words.

But, yet, the harder I

listened... the clearer I heard her.

You punished her wrongly.

It was me - my fault.

She said...

"I am afraid of my will -

of what it might do.

It is so strange and strong. "

She said...

"I have to go. Let me go. "

"Let Baines take me away.

Let him try and save me. "

I wish her gone. I wish you gone.

I want to wake up...

and find that this...

was all a dream.

That's what I want.

It was a terrible shock.

Oh, dear!

No. She needs it. She must have it.

- What did she say?

- To throw the piano overboard.

It's quite safe. They are managing.

She doesn't want it.

She says it's spoiled!

Here's the key.

I'll have it mended.

Please, Ada. Ada!

You'll regret it.

It's your piano, you must have it.

- She doesn't want it!

- Sit down!

- Throw it over!

- Stop!

All right, we'll throw it over.

"What a death."

"What a chance."

"What a surprise!"

"My will has chosen life."

"Still, it has had me spooked,

and many others besides."

"I teach piano now in Nelson."

"George made me a metal fingertip."

"I'm quite the town freak,

which satisfies."

"I am learning to speak."

"My sound is still so bad

I feel ashamed."

"I practise only

when I am alone and it is dark."

...kah, kah, kah,

vah, vah, vah,

bah, bah, bah,

pah, pah.

"At night I think of my piano

in its ocean grave

and sometimes of myself

floating above it."

"Down there everything is so still

and silent, it lulls me to sleep."

"It is a weird lullaby,

and so it is..."

"It is mine."

"There is a silence

where hath been no sound"

"There is a silence

where no sound may be"

"In the cold grave,

under the deep deep sea."

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