The Handmaid's Tale Page #3

have you ever played before?

- Scrabble?

- Yes,

when I was young.

With my family...

Well, what do you say?

How about it?

All right.

Good.

[ Tiles rattling ]

Here we go.

[ Tiles rattling ]

Good news from the

Appalachian Highlands...

where the Angels

of the Apocalypse,

fourth division...

are smoking out a pocket

of Baptist guerillas...

with air support

from the 21st Battalion

of the Angels of Light.

Casualties are reported high as

hand-to-hand fighting continues.

I can use my last

three letters in one go.

I've won.

You certainly have won.

Congratulations.

I think you play this game

a lot better than I do.

- Oh, no.

- No, I know you do.

Thanks.

But I knew you would.

- Why?

- Because you're a librarian.

Was.

I'll be away for a week...

at the capitol.

So don't forget me.

All clear.

You play a mean game.

[ Door closes ]

Offred!

It's so damn close in there.

Come on out.

You need a little fresh air.

Here.

Why do you think

we go through...

what we do?

You mean the ceremony?

Because a baby

would make my life whole.

You've had a child.

Yes.

A little girl.

Yes.

Do you know

what happened to her?

Do you know if she's...

I could try to find out.

I still have access

to some information.

See? We have a lot in common.

We could have

motherhood in common.

[ Nozzles spraying ]

Good luck.

[ Door closes ]

[ Indistinct announcement

over P.A. ]

- [ Clearing throat ]

- [ Scanner beeping ]

Second door on the left.

- How are we today?

- Fine.

Three months,

and nothing in the wind, huh?

You're in good shape, though.

Ripe.

I know your Commander.

He's tried twice before.

He's probably sterile.

Don't they test them?

The men?

No. They don't test them.

You get the blame,

honey, if it doesn't work.

Let me help you.

How?

The door's locked.

Nobody will come in.

They'll never know

it wasn't him.

I've helped others...

lots of women do it.

No, thanks.

I'd hate to see what

they'd do to you.

You know what could happen

if it doesn't work.

It's the wives

you have to look out for.

They don't like you girls

hanging around the house.

I mean, just imagine

what they must feel.

See, they're defeated women.

Especially Serena Joy.

She was quite a celebrity.

What do you say?

You stop right there,

or I'll scream.

It's your life.

See you next month.

AUNT:
How many ceremonies

have there been?

Three.

Dates? Last month?

The sixteenth.

What about the nineteenth?

What about the twentieth?

- That's your best time.

- KATE:
I know.

I guess he was busy.

You have one more month...

then you'll be up

for reassessment.

WOMAN:

Men didn't love you then.

They didn't value

what we could do.

They... they wouldn't look

at you twice...

unless you were some

kind of beauty queen.

You had to have big tits

and a little nose...

and... and even if

they did marry you...

they would knock you up

and run off with somebody else.

Now...

now you get...

more respect.

My baby's gonna grow up healthy.

Not my baby.

Our baby!

Our baby.

AUNT:
[ clapping]

Put your lockers away.

Pre-natal next.

What are you doing here?

Me? What about you?

What happened?

Nothing. Guys must have been

gay or something.

[ Knocking ]

Aunt Lydia...

there's a toilet

overflowing in the john.

[ Door opens, closes ]

Don't you dare

f***ing move around...

or I'll stick this thing so far

up your f***ing ass...

you won't even know

what hit you.

You'll go all the way

to the moon.

Yes, you little goody two-shoes.

OK.

[ Grunting ]

That's it.

Now we take the pretty pearls...

from the pretty lady

and whose fault is it?

It's her fault,

her fault, her fault.

That's it.

Easy. Easy.

That's a good girl.

All right now.

You can f*** all your

little girls on the latrine.

Come on.

Over here, now.

Over here, huh?

Absolutely, you piece of turd.

Hurry up.

Maybe with luck they'll find you

before Christmas.

Remember I didn't kill you.

I like your panties, sweetie.

Come on!

[ Pipes squeaking ]

[ Banging ]

Go.

[ Slapping ]

[ Laughing ]

You've done it again.

You're the winner again.

Do I get a prize?

Sure do.

A surprise prize.

[ Unlocking cabinet ]

Now, what do you like?

- There's Vogue...

- [ Thudding ]

- Cosmopolitan.

- [ Thudding ]

I thought all of this stuff was

supposed to have been burned.

It was. It was bad

for people's minds.

It confused them.

It was okay for me

because I'm mature.

Come here. I got a

whole stack of them for you.

See? Just for you.

Does she know about these?

No. She wouldn't understand.

Could you do something for me?

Could you get me some...

some hand lotion?

Hand lotion?

You know, how they used to have?

My skin gets... gets very dry.

Well, what do you use normally?

I use butter. I steal pats

of butter from the food trays.

Butter. That's very clever.

Can you do it?

Yeah, I can do it.

Why not?

No, wait. Now, wait, wait, wait.

Just think about it a minute.

Uh, she might smell it on you.

She's never that close to me.

Uh, sometimes she is.

Well, I won't use it

on those nights.

[ Grunting ]

[ Gasping ]

[ Grunting ]

[ Lock buzzing, unlocks ]

Don't do that again.

Do what again?

Try to touch me like that.

Did I?

Well, I'm sorry.

It's just that, uh,

I find it, uh...

What?

Impersonal.

How long did it take you

to figure that out?

Here's your hand lotion.

She can do whatever she likes.

She could have me sent

to the colonies.

Don't you know that?

Don't do it again, please!

OK, OK.

What happened to the last one?

My predecessor?

She couldn't cut it.

Cut it?

She couldn't conceive,

could she?

Don't push your luck.

So what happened to her?

She hung herself.

[ Phone ringing ]

With what?

Where'd she get the rope?

It doesn't matter

where she got the rope.

She didn't do it with rope,

so what difference does it make?

Maybe I shouldn't

come here anymore.

Maybe you better stay there

until I tell you to go.

Yeah.

So what?

Well, what are you calling for

this time of night with that

kind of crap?

I told you once to do it.

Now just do it.

[ Indistinct radio chatter ]

[ Scanner chiming ]

Offred?

Come over here.

Sit down.

Did you find out anything?

No, not yet.

Any sign?

No. Nothing.

SERENA:
Too bad.

Your time's running out.

Yes.

SERENA:

Maybe he can't.

Maybe you should...

try it another way.

What other way?

Another man.

They hang you for that.

SERENA:
It's done.

Women do it frequently.

All the time, in fact.

- With doctors, you mean.

- No, no, no, no.

Doctors blackmail.

It has to be someone we trust.

Who?

I was thinking of Nick.

Did you ask him?

No, but he's been with us

a long time.

I think I could fix it with him.

And he's quite good-looking.

- What about the Commander?

- Well...

We just won't tell him, will we?

He lives above the garage.

He's expecting you.

No one will see you.

[ Knocking ]

Come in.

Have you come to do your duty

for the fatherland?

Yep.

[ Chuckling ]

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