(Dark. The universe pulsates with sounds reminiscent of a blood circulation or mother’s heartbeat. In occasional flashes of a fading star crumpled bodies in foetal positions can be made out, back to back. The beings are of indeterminate sex, faces wrinkled by deposits of many years. Lichens and moss stick to semi-nude bodies. Parasite plants cover their faces and join their backbones, making Siamese twins of them. The beings appear dead.

The universe’s pulsating gets louder and louder. First suddenly starts to breathe in accord with the monstrous pulse. Offstage his dark and calm voice is heard.)

(With a weak voice First manages to actually utter the sentence.)

(Chokes with the effort of speech. Second shudders slightly as if he had heard something.)

(Second shudders. First smiles faintly.)

(He chokes. Makes an effort to catch his breath.)

(Second starts to breathe in harmony with the pulse of the universe, too. First pricks his ears. Breathing of Second becomes speedier and harder, turns into a whimper.)

(Second whimpers on. First by ultimate effort moves a finger, his muscles convulse and he manages to move a trembling hand to his face and pull off the plant parasite from his eyes. Looks over his shoulder to Second, who is still whimpering. The eyes of First squint, unaccustomed to watching.)

(First brings a fist to the face of his mate and slowly starts to strangle him. He struggles, First smiles. Than he lets him go.)

(First is surprised to hear his voice.)

(Second pricks his ears. Calmly nods his head.)

(First starts to wiggle, trying to extricate himself, but he does not succeed. Second murmurs to himself, very frightened. First carefully takes off the plant that joins their backbones. One more effort, and he is in command of his upper body.

He flexes his muscles. Tries to get up, but he’s not able to. Second in panic manages to move his hands feeling the empty space.)

(First manages to get up shakily.)

(Second thinks.)

(First limbers up his leg muscles, smiles to his comrade ironically.)

(Second in panic tries to reach him with his fingers. First takes pity and carefully removes the moss from the eyes of his comrade who hollers. When that one is finally used to the light, he looks at First in amazement, and than screams like an animal. First hugs him.)

(First smiles and spits on him. Than continues to remove the parasites. Second thinks, and than shakes from some inner coldness.)

(First limbers up some more, and than slowly goes off into the dark, waiting for Second to stop him. That one is silent. But, in the last moment, when First already steps into the dark, Second screams.)

(First smugly comes back.)

(First takes moss of his face, makes a squeamish expression.)

(Second extends a hand to him.)

(First looks at him pitifully. Second makes an effort to stand up, very determined. First limbers up and watches his comrade struggle. Than he determinedly puts him on his feet. Second balances unstably. His face is shining.)

(Second holds his hurt nose.)

(First looks around him, and then looks at their nakedness, and even more concentrated continues to look for something. With a bit of imagination to him the male, and to Second the female sex could be ascribed.

Second is busy taking the plants off her face. Out of the dark First appears with two pairs of tight-fitting smoking jackets and derby hats. Second looks questioningly at him, First shrugs his shoulders. For a moment they look at the clothes, and then simultaneously topple to the ground.)

(They stare absently. First, very concentrated, picks his nose. Than Second starts doing the same. First stops, starts to pick his ear absent-mindedly. Second also absent-mindedly repeats that. First belches lightly. Second repeats that, and then is astounded at herself.)

(Second raises a hand to strike him, but the hand falls impotently. First joyfully waits for his moment and tries to kick him with his leg, but he cannot raise it. Breathing heavily, the two of them again became still. They look at nothing melancholically. Both at the same time turn towards each other conciliatorily.)

(They look at each other, flushed.)

(Cries with laughter. First gets serious, and then strikes him a strong blow on the face. Second also gets serious and returns the slap.)

(Suddenly they realize that they managed to move their limbs. They jump to their feet in an explosion of joy. They dance the children’s dance. They put the suits on each other. They look through the pockets, find various items. Second finds a lipstick and a piece of mirror. Clumsily rouges the lips and becomes She. First finds in the pocket false mustachios and a cigar. He carefully sticks the mustachios on. Shows the cigar to Second. She nods her head, remembering. He looks for a match with no success. Than he pretends to light the cigar and enjoys the make-believe ‘rings of smoke’. Second happily look in the mirror. She’s got lipstick all over her chin. She is singing a waltz. Closing her eyes, she remembers. Slowly starts to turn rhythmically, clumsily but steadily.)

(She makes a kissing sound with her lips. First finds a newspaper in his pocket, pretends not to listen to her. She opens her eyes, dissatisfied.)

(She puts a hand to her chest, as if she is out of breath. They turn around as if they have just then realised where they are. She, alarmed, runs into his embrace. A wind starts to blow. They hold each other tightly. The wind slightly rocks them. It is mingled with a kitsch copy of catholic sacral music. First clears his throat, tries to follow the melody, but he is out of tune.)

(A smile.)

(The smile vanishes.)

(First in fear moves away from her. She holds him with a spasmodic, deathly grip. He tries to pull away.)

(First still tries to pull away, spasmodically. Her grip is like steel.)

(First manages to tear away from her lunatic grip. Strikes her hysterically, trying to silence her. Second falls down, but continues talking as if not noticing him.)

(First is tired from kicking, lies over her, panting.)

(First tries to catch his breath. Second lies on her back, mumbling as if in a trance. Her voice sounds satisfied, it is increasingly silent, until it becomes completely intelligible.)

(For a short moment the two of them are still. They allow the anticlimax to clear their heads. Than Second gets up slowly rocking in the wind that has started again. She smiles lightly, like a teenager apologising. Her moves are slight, spontaneous. She makes a charming try to straighten the crumpled clothes. Carefully touches the places where she was struck. Then does a pirouette. First raises his bloodshot eyes, watches her. She joyfully helps him to get up. Dusts him. His trousers are loose and falling down.)

(He looks at her with pity.)

(He pulls her hand, impatiently, like he’s dealing with a lunatic.)

(He drags her, she innocently slows down.)

(She remembers with satisfaction. He with disgust.)

(First, unnerved, suddenly catches her by the lapel.)

(She, astonished, touches her face and clothes to reassure herself that she’s real.)

(First, disgusted, pushes her away.)

(She does not understand.)

(He goes off into the dark alone. She does not hold him back.)

(With no turning back or such sentimentalities First goes off. She, childishly interested, watches him go.)

(Silence.)

(Silence.)

(All the muscles of her body are trembling with the effort of trying to walk, but she cannot move. The kitsch copy of sacral music echoes.

Her breathing is out of control. Dark.)

(Second stands in the same position. But, through the darkness steel walls nearly to her height that obscure her view can be made out. In some moments, her muscles remember their intention, but she is still immobile. A brief flash for a moment lights First who sits leaning on one of her walls, knees gathered under the chin, deep in thoughts. Their suits have shrunk. He turns a bit and looks at her. Sights lightly.)

(Pause.)

(Pause.)

(Pause. First picks his nose.)

(She drums on her walls playfully, like on tin pots.)

(Sniffs deeply.)

(First starts slowly and determinedly to tear her walls apart. She is not overly impressed. He slowly puts together the walls so they make an even tighter room. Than he enters it, sits in the corner and starts looking at her over his knees. She tries to move. Succeeds. She is lively.)

(He belches. Looks with interest on her face, smeared with lipstick and very tormented.)

(He belches.)

(Belches. Scratches his armpit and stomach.)

(Looks at her, she does not listen.)

(Neighs with laughter. Gets up and draws her to him. She is still concentrated on her thoughts.)

(First jerks a little but still begins kissing her on the neck. She very carefully removes lint from his jacket. Does not interfere with him.)

(She slowly accepts the idea.)

(They look at each other.)

(They turn in fear. Look at the darkness. Look at each other again. Fall into a convulsive embrace. They are silent. He puts a hand on her breasts. Squeezes tightly. She smiles; than she quickly pulls off and flees into the dark. However, he is faster by far; tackles her. Pause.

She smiles. He smiles too. She bites his hand strongly. He screams. Strikes her with his upper arm. She smiles. He strikes her again. After her repeated smile he smiles too. Than he starts tearing up her clothes with maniacal intensity. When he notices a left-off plant through her torn pant’s leg he takes it off. Looks at the parasite with noticeable curiosity. For some moments his unarticulated sounds are heard: neither choking nor giggling or sobs.

Second waits patiently all the time. He finally puts the parasite in his bosom and continues tearing her clothes. She neatly puts the pieces of her torn clothing by her side. A brief pause for her prayer, he is puzzled.

Coitus: more like a choreographed oriental art than a wrestler’s grip. The sacral music now sounds as if the tape is slowing. The moment looks frozen in time.

The star is flashing.

Rest after the act. She is lying on her back and examining her hands. His head is on her feet. She is authoritative.)

(Second shrugs her shoulders.)

(His smile pours over the space. She gathers her rags closer around her. Smiles together with him. Darkness. The echoes of laughter still last. A weak but recognisable sound mixes with them: her poor copy of his sounds – neither choking nor giggling or sobs.)

(When the leaves start falling, First raises his head and gravely looks into the night sky. Their room is dismantled. Steel walls lie crossed around them, making the Hill-in-Space. Second carefully puts a multicoloured bandanna on her head, and holds her derby puzzledly. And for the second time, their clothes and hats have shrunk, so they now look like children’s replicas of real clothes.

First buttons his coat satisfactorily. Looks at himself in the steel boards, feels his unshaven chin. Frowns slightly. Refreshed, goes round the hill. She still crumples her hat nervously. He does not pay attention to her. Tries to capture a professorial tone of voice, which he obviously is not used to any more.)

(He is not satisfied. Changes the depth and tone of his voice until he hits the right level.)

(Pause. Looks at her to check the effect of his bygone skill. She does not react, emptily stares at nothing. He continues, dissatisfied.)

(He waves a hand in front of his eyes.)

(He opens his mouth to continue the speech when she starts to warn him, quietly and seriously.)

(Dead silence. He comes to her, frightened, and waves a hand in front of her eyes. Screams. Realises that she is blind. She just smiles slightly. He, distraught, stands across from her and with slow heavy steps moves toward her.)

(First shakes her by the shoulders.)

(She sits down tiredly.)

(He screams silently. Her head falls. He runs to catch her before she falls into a heap over her knees. He in panic tries to wake her from the deathly slumber. Slaps her lightly a couple of times. She jerks.)

(He roughly makes her walk and be lively. By force he drags her from one end of the hill to another. Her vital functions wake up, she manages to move alone mechanically. Left-right, left-right. He loses his breath from all that exertion and falls down exhausted. She continues to walk, like a zombie, but very briskly. Her eyes are closed, her mouth is drooling. The breath does not exist. He looks at her, astonished . Suddenly, her body starts to convulse in mid-step. She slows down. Every muscle in her body

starts to shake with heavy and painful vibrations. She is turned towards him. On her distorted face is – besides horrific, dumb effort – also a hint of near relief, even pleasure. Orgasmic death. The strenuous shaking brings her down on her knees. With infinite effort she manages to open her eyes and look at First who is completely out of his mind. She watches him for an endless moment.)

(She reaches out towards him. Look like she’ll get up. First withdraws in panic.)

(First starts to scream. Second smiles slightly. With unprecedented force, a scream comes out of her lungs, more a warrior’s victory scream than a death scream. She falls forward, sinking her tearful face in the grass. She has died again.

A long pause. Unbelieving First kneels, slowly plucks some grass and rubs it in his face to refresh himself. He dares to get up and approach her. With lunatic concentration he listens to her heart, pulse, massages her chest, raises her arms, tries to resuscitate her. His movements get faster and faster. He even starts to chant and yell a bit. He carries her body around, forces her to act. He is persistent and louder and louder.)

(Chants. Hoarsely gives time to his efforts, like that is going to revive her. Than he stops, changes his mind. Looks at the board. Desperately pulls the hands of the watchers, the audience.)

(When he sees that no one is helping him he alone lifts the steel boards and tries to make some sort of shelter. It is not easy for him. Again he tries to plead with the audience. When he sees that it is hopeless, he continues alone – even more earnestly. Into the makeshift shelter he drags her body and crawls inside with her in his embrace. Seem like he is afraid to get soaked by the shower of leaves that are falling. His chanting and yelling, beating time, becomes sharper and higher. The light starts to flicker and blink to the rhythm of his voice.

Sudden darkness.)

(Unbearable, rhythmical flash of the white star. The space is in negative. Leaves. Wind. A speeded-up kitsch copy of catholic sacral music. Offstage a murmur, endless prayers of innumerable dead souls. Embraced, draped in white clothes, First and Second jump like lunatics and chant in a very hacked rhythm. The light and sound are intense to the limit of psychical endurance.

Their eyes are closed. They are very concentrated on their activity. Out of numerous offstage murmurs two voices are discernible.)

(Repeats. Delirious dancers pay no attention neither to the music nor to the voices that are heard one over another.)

(Repeats. Into the general cacophony, still jumping, Second joins in.)

(Repeats. The cacophony gets stronger and stronger.)

(Suddenly everything comes to a standstill. Just the patient white light digs into the pupils of the audience. The two of them look up, from where the leaves are coming. Second gathers her strength, and then screams into the split sky.)

(Sudden silence.

Dark.)