Shipwreck ( Coast of Utopia-2)

Natalie leaves. Emma takes the basket and upends it. A single virulent toadstool falls out.

HERZEN   I idolised Rousseau when I was young … Man in his natural state, uncorrupted by civilisation, desiring only those things which are good to desire …

GEORGE   Oh, yes.

HERZEN    … and everybody free to follow their desires without conflicts, because they’d all want the same things …

EMMA   Where’s Natalie?

GEORGE   Didn’t she come back?

HERZEN   She’ll be rounding up the nurse and the children.

GEORGE   (to Emma) My love, what do you think? We’re going to share a house with Alexander and Natalie in Nice! He’s going to go on ahead and find a place.

EMMA   Why … why leave Paris?

HERZEN   We belong to Egypt, not to the Promised Land. The people faltered. I wouldn’t insult them by absolving them. They had no programme, and no sovereign brain to carry one out. The Sovereign People are our invention. The masses are more like a phenomenon in nature, and nature isn’t interested in our fantasy that ink is action. Ask George. We’re dupes.

Natalie enters.

HERZEN   (cont.) (to Natalie) I’m a dupe. Well and good. We, too, will look to our faults—our passions and vices—and prepare ourselves by living by our ideals in a republic of our own. We are many!—Nine, counting my mother and the children.

NATALIE   The children must be hungry. I’m starving.

TURGENEV   It’s going to rain.

HERZEN   (to Natalie) George has offered to escort you and the children on your journey south. (to Emma) Your husband is kindness itself.

GEORGE   (to Emma) And when you’ve had the baby, you’ll join us.

EMMA   (to Herzen) There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you.

NATALIE   Come on—we can go in that empty cottage.

Herzen and Natalie leave, holding hands.

GEORGE   (to Turgenev) Are you writing anything?

TURGENEV   Well … no …

EMMA   Yes, he is. It’s a comedy.

TURGENEV   Here it comes.

Turgenev puts his palm out to the first drops. They leave, following Herzen and Natalie.

SEPTEMBER 1850

Nice (at this time an Italian town).

Herzen is writing on the verandah of a large house on the Promenade. The light is Mediterranean, the sea washing the shingles is audible, part of the garden is visible. The verandah is a large area containing a family dining table and chairs, and some comfortable chairs around a smaller table. There is a door to the interior. Mother and Kolya are absorbed together, at a distance from Herzen, using a hand mirror (in which Kolya studies his mouth movements). An Italian servant, ROCCA, is laying the table and singing for his own enjoyment. As he goes indoors, he passingly ‘serenades’ Mother and Kolya. Mother manages a game smile. With her collusion, Kolya trots over to Herzen. Herzen slightly over-enunciates for Kolya.

HERZEN   Was moechtest du denn? [What do you want, darling?]

Kolya looks back to Mother for assurance. She smiles him on.

KOLYA   Ich spreche Russisch! [I speak Russian!] (in ‘English’) ‘Sunny day! My name is Kolya!’

HERZEN   Wunderbar! [Wonderful!]

Great delight, made physical, on all sides.

HERZEN   (cont.) Jetzt sprichst du Russisch! [Now you speak Russian!]

KOLYA   Ich spreche Russisch! [I speak Russian!]

Rocca returns, singing, with more things for the table.

HERZEN   Zeig es Mami! [Show Mummy!] Do vei Signora? [Where is the Signora?]

ROCCA   Sta nel giardino. [She was in the garden.]

Rocca leaves singing.

MOTHER   I suppose the next one will juggle.

Herzen places Kolya’s hands on Herzen’s face and enunciates while Kolya lip-reads.