SCENE: A cell in a military jail, just before dawn, the next morning.
ROBERT is lying on his bunk, his knees up. He is playing on a penny whistle. He is playing Ravel. A rather fat guard, a middle-aged SERGEANT, is standing, with rifle and bayonet, on the other side of the steel-grated door.
ROBERT
(Finishing)
How's that?
GUARD
Awful.
ROBERT
Blame Ravel. (He plays again) The penny whistle is a delicate instrument. It has a high, melodious tone, not unlike a railroad engine whistle coming out of a tunnel. Not exactly the thing for Ravel. Sergeant, have you ever heard of Ravel?
GUARD
No.
ROBERT
At any rate, thank you for the whistle.
GUARD
That's all right. A whistle helps in prison. Anything helps in prison.
-145-
Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: The Assassin, a Play in Three Acts.
Contributors: Irwin Shaw - Author.
Publisher: Random House.
Place of publication: New York.
Publication year: 1946.
Page number: 145.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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