Scene 6.

ISHTAR, TONY

The light at first somewhat eerie, then getting brighter. TONY lies on his back on the stage. ISHTAR standing, highly pregnant. Gazing at him. Dimly, in the background, New York harbor, the "new" skyline, the WTC gone...

ISHTAR: Maybe, it was the boat, you know... I really resented that boat...

It came for your enjoyment...

It was your triumph, that boat...

The pinnacle of your achievement...

It came first...

Remember, when you said: now that we have this boat, we can't decently postpone having a baby any longer...

It came first...

Before the baby...

Even a little bit ahead of the cancer...

It was your thing...

Oh, how I hated the guilt it made me feel

for spoiling your pleasure...

You were so pleased with yourself...

And you were right to be...

It was your thing!

And what was my thing?

The cancer - some little clump of proliferating cells... spoiling everything...

...spoiling everything...

Your beautiful life...

Your beautiful wife...

everything that made you feel great...

TONY (jumps up): Jeeez, don't speak that way...

ISH: Why? If that's how I felt...

That I had failed you...

Not all the time, but some of the time...

The worst of the time...

TONY: But I sold it, didn't I? I sold that boat...

ISH: You shouldn't have!

TONY: I couldn't stand the sight of it any longer... I haven't regretted selling it one second....

ISH: You see, just as I said...

Your pleasure was spoiled...

TONY (fiercely): No, it was not... That's what was so hard to take! That the pleasure was still there... That it couldn't be killed off!

ISHTAR (laughing): Yes, it's amazing, isn't it... That it can't be killed off... Even, that it acquires an edge... an edge it didn't have before...

an edge it didn't have before...

If you've felt that...

Think how I have felt it...

How I'm feeling it, that edge...

I want to go sailing...

Let's go sailing!

I mean... if the pleasure isn't gone...

Why deprive ourselves?

Let's go sailing...!

TONY: Ishtar... now, in your state?

ISH: I feel splendid... Never felt better in my life... all the hormones... Never in my life have I felt more like sailing...

TONY: Oh, Ishtar, Ishtar!

ISH: Let's do like we used to... Let's rent a boat...

The week-end will be beautiful...

TONY (with effort): I'll have to get used to the idea...

Do you think that he'll like it?

ISH: Don't worry about him! He won't know the difference... I'm like a big sailing boat myself

am I not?

TONY: You walk like one...

ISH: It's a graceful walk, isn't it?

TONY: Very!

ISH: Take me sailing, love!

TONY: I will... I will...

ISH: Where's the picnic-basket? Do you still have the picnic-basket?

TONY: It's somewhere...

You know where things are...

ISH: Your house is a mess, Tony!

TONY: If it is, it's all your fault...

I didn't use to be

a mess...

ISH: You see... It took all this time for me to enjoy it...

To enjoy myself, Tony! It took all this...

TONY: I don't enjoy sailing anymore...

ISH: Let's enjoy ourselves, Tony!

TONY: I don't enjoy the view...

ISH: All the time...

all the time...

all the time... Tony!