(Musical chime ringing.)
VOICE OF THE DOORMAN: Mr Cascio coming up!
VOICE OF TONY IN THE BACKGROUND: Ishtar!
ISHTAR sits on the floor, staring.
TONY barges in. In his raincoat, dripping wet. She getsup slowly.
TONY: ISHTAR!!!
(He jumps at her.)
TONY: Darling!
(Quieting him, a kiss, but with a friendly distance.)
ISHTAR: Hi!
TONY: Darling, oh darling...!
ISHTAR: Who told you?
TONY: Your mother told me!
ISHTAR: Then it must be true! When did she tell you?
TONY: Ten minutes ago. I ran out of the house, I came right over!
ISHTAR: It's raining!
TONY: Is it? I didn't notice!
ISHTAR: Take off your raincoat!
TONY: So - you messed up, didn't you?
ISHTAR: I messed up totally!
TONY: You can be proud of yourself.
ISHTAR: I don't know. It just happened.
TONY: But why, but why did you let it happen...
ISHTAR: I was stupid. He was smart.
TONY: Who was smart?
ISHTAR: He, it's a he!
TONY: Oh, God! You're going to have him, aren't you?
ISHTAR: He's won!
TONY: Lord, oh Lord!
ISHTAR: It's not such a big deal!
TONY: I'd cut my balls if it were mine!
ISHTAR: Who would that help?
TONY: Thank you...
ISHTAR: I don't mind him, you know! I don't mind him at all!
TONY: When will he make us the honor?
ISHTAR: March!
TONY: You're happy!
ISHTAR: I don't know.
TONY: God, you're beautiful! You're beautiful, Ishtar! Ishtar, I've never seen you so beautiful!
ISHTAR: It's the hormones, I guess!
TONY: You wanted this to happen! You wanted it! (he hits himself on the head). This has been your project all along! That's why you left me... I should have known... You wanted to get yourself into this mess despite myself... You were afraid that I would protect you too much, that I would manage to protect you from yourself... You wanted to get out of my protection, be your own girl, make your own big mess all by yourself...
But of course! I should never have let you go... It's my fault...!
I'm sorry, Ishtar, I'm sorry! It's my fault! I should have watched out for you! But never, never did the thought cross my mind... I was such a fool... You're such a schemer, Ishtar! What a schemer you are, Ishtar!
ISHTAR: Male paranoia... Our old bag of tricks, pregnancy... making babies... The trick of female tricks...
I wanted nothing... We were drunk...
TONY: Oh...
ISHTAR: We were drunk as rats...
TONY: Do mean to tell me, you did it just once?
ISHTAR: Oh, no... We had been doing it for a while, but that time, we were drunk as rats...
TONY: I don't believe it, not with you, accidents wouldn't happen with you...
ISHTAR: In fact, it was my fault, he beseeched me not to drink... He's rather dangerous when he drinks, you know...
TONY: That's all...
ISHTAR: It's all it takes...
TONY: You didn't use to be so careless...
ISHTAR: People bring out different things in each other...
TONY: Yes, that's half the fun, isn't it?
ISHTAR: Half the fun!
TONY: God dammit!
(He hits with his fist on the table, like Ben did. Silence.)
ISHTAR: What does that mean?
TONY: If you want it, I want it!
ISHTAR: I don't know...
TONY (approaching her threateningly): It's all we always wanted, isn't it? Isn't it??? ISN'T IT????
ISHTAR: No, it's not!
TONY: Then my memory must be failing me!
ISHTAR: It's not what
I wanted!
TONY: Well, with some accommodation - it's close enough, isn't it?
ISHTAR: It might be!
TONY: Love, I want it!
(Silence.)
ISHTAR: I don't know if you can have him!
TONY: Look, he's yours, I never hoped that I would have one that's yours... I had never dared to hope, I had never been wretched and thoughtless enough to hope, I'd never been enough of a thoughtless bastard to hope that I could that we would have one that would be yours!
ISHTAR: You make it sound nice!
TONY: I'm serious about wanting it!
ISHTAR: No... I left for another reason, remember...
TONY: For God's sake, you have it, don't you, you have had what you wanted to get out of your own to get, I've been out of your way for almost a year, that's it, you've gone your lonely initiation way, you have discovered what it was that you wanted which you had wanted all the time, haven't you... cut it out... get real... here you are... I want it, Ishtar, I want it as much and almost more than anything I've ever wanted since the age of reason...
ISHTAR: Me too, I want it a hell of a lot, now. It doesn't necessarily follow that we want something compatible, in the contrary...
TONY: Listen, he doesn't want it, does he? The louse? He's out of the picture for good, isn't he? The other louse! The drunken louse!
ISHTAR: He'd rather that it never existed. If it were for him, it would never be born!
TONY: Good Lord, the fact that this louse wants him dead makes me love him already!
ISHTAR: Oh, don't say that!
TONY: I do! I want him, I love him. I am here, if he wants me! At I am at your disposal. Let him find someone better! I'm most sincere.. To tell you the truth, I need him... I need someone like him... You dont understand that...
(Silence.)
TONY: Tell this to the louse... Tell him that he shouldn't worry... Tell him that he won't need a lawyer, tell him... make him feel good...
Shall I make dinner, love?
ISHTAR (gratefully): There's broccoli in the frige...
(He breathe with relief. Kisses her. He goes off to the background grateful to be let to make dinner. Meanwhile: