INT. NADIA'S APARTMENT - EARLY MORNING
Nick enters the apartment. Nuddia wakes up when she hears
him enter and the door close.
NADIA
Where have you been?
NICK
Gone.
NADIA
Gone. . Where?
NICK
Outside.
NADIA
Right outside? You went right
outside?
NICK
Right to the limit.
NADIA
How far?
NICK
How far is the limit?
NADIA
. . . That's a good question. I
wish I'd thought of it. . . Nick.
NADIA
. . . Nick?
NICK
Yes.
NADIA
What's it like, . outside?
NICK
It's round, and there are people
there.
NADIA
What kind of people?
NICK
People like us.
NADIA
Like us?
NICK
Yes.
NADIA
Do they speak like us? Do they
dream like us? Do they walk like
us? . . . . I mean, . Are they
really real, like us?
NICK
They are like us, except they're
natural.
NADIA
What does that mean, 'natural'?
NICK
It means that when they cry their
tears have salt, but when they
laugh there is no after.
NADIA
No ever after?
NICK
No.
NADIA
Oh, . . . how I wish, . . . How I
wish I was natural, out there,
with them, where the sun, where
the sun shines, where everything
is happening. Instead, here I am,
in here, where the happening is
full of thought, not natural at
all, not, natural, I am, not,
natural.
NICK
Don't be hard on yourself. You
have me. And I have you.
NADIA
And we have each other.
NICK
And I have you.
NADIA
. . . . But, is it really
natural? Is it natural to want,
is it natural to learn?
NICK
Anyone can do it.
NADIA
That, is precisely, what, I,
mean. . .
I mean, if no-one taught them
anything, they would know
nothing. I don't call that
natural. Do you?
NICK
I call that, 'sport'.
NADIA
Sport?
NICK
Playing with something until it
bursts. Watching your socks boil.
Listening to the ticking of the
clocks. The afternoon is like a
prison.
NADIA
But the morning is a rose.
NICK
A rose.
NADIA
A rose.
NICK
By any other name.
NADIA
. . . Nick. . . Nick. . . .
NICK
Yes.
NADIA
Come to bed.
NICK
I just got up. I walked around. I
talked about the world. To
another, another man. Someone on
the outside at least.
NADIA
So you cannot go to bed?
NICK
Is that a question?
NADIA
A kind of question. It's more of
an invitation. Come to bed.
Listen to me. Listen to my heart.
Listen to my breath. Listen to my
womb.
NICK
And what about your mouth? Can I
hear that?
NADIA
Can you?
NICK
Can I?
NADIA
Yes, you can. You can hear
anything I give you permission to
hear. That's how we function in
here. We're almost natural.
NICK
Like a worm.
NADIA
Like a sperm.
NICK
Like a word.
NADIA
Like a spade. . . Are you coming
then?
NICK
Coming where?
NADIA
To bed with me. Inside of me. The
heart of me. Are you coming too?
With all the others.
NICK
I think you're talking about the
ones outside. The other ones. Who
think they're natural.
NADIA
We could be natural too, if we
practise. If you come to bed.
NICK
If I come to bed.
NADIA
I will be natural. If only for
you.
NICK
If not for me.
NADIA
We could be natural. And
unambiguous.
NICK
We could be like them.
NADIA
The pigs?
NICK
. . Snort, snort.