Play With a Tiger and Other Plays

GUARDIAN: Myths, indeed! Then why do you want to take part in the Door Ceremony?

FOURTH LOW-LEVELLER: It is a question of political equity.

FIRST LOW-LEVELLER: Justice.

SECOND LOW-LEVELLER: Liberty.

THIRD LOW-LEVELLER: Freedom.

FIFTH PRECEPT: But it will open. The Door will open. [shouting] Let me go. I must be free to tell everybody. I must …

[The MEDICAL ATTENDANTS grab him. The DOCTOR deftly injects him, an ATTENDANT crams pills into his mouth. He passes out, and is laid on the stretcher. The DOCTOR tries to inject the FOURTH PRECEPT, who mimes submission, contrition, humility. As this is seen to work, the DOCTOR becoming avuncular and bland, the other two copy the FOURTH PRECEPT. Meanwhile FOURTH PRECEPT goes forward a little way to examine the big Door. He is joined by the two who have now mollified the DOCTOR. Do we imagine it, or is this Door brighter than it was?]

THIRD LOW-LEVELLER: There have been a lot of pretty funny rumours down in the Levels recently.

CHAIRMAN: I would hardly describe a revolution as a rumour.

FIRST LOW-LEVELLER: No, about the Door. Rumours about the Door.

SECOND LOW-LEVELLER: More than rumours. There’s a new sect.

THIRD LOW-LEVELLER: The main one calls itself ‘The Door Will Open Soon’ Society.

GUARDIAN: Indeed?

SECOND LOW-LEVELLER: There’s been some rioting.

GUARDIAN: Very true. I had them arrested and imprisoned.

THIRD LOW-LEVELLER: I heard some escaped. We thought they might be here.

[FIRST and SECOND LOW-LEVELLERS look suspiciously at THIRD and FOURTH LOW-LEVELLERS, while moving closer together. THIRD and FOURTH do the same. At the same moment, the two couples aim their grenades and their rifles at each other.]

CHAIRMAN: Now, now. There’s no need for that.

[A fresh commotion outside left exit. ATTENDANT comes running over.]

ATTENDANT: Second Hereditary Attendant of the Gate to the …

CHAIRMAN: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

ATTENDANT: There’s another lot.

CHAIRMAN: Then let them in, by all means.

[This time there is a group of varying ages, and variously dressed. They are unarmed, and they walk quietly.]

CHAIRMAN: Delighted to see you all.

GUARDIAN: Do come in.

SECRETARY: You are more than welcome.

DELEGATES: Hear, hear. Yes. Of course. Welcome.

ONE OF THE GROUP: Oh, I’m so glad. We thought we might not believe it.

CHAIRMAN: No, no, we think every Level should be represented. Every one, mark you, including Levels 50 to 100. You will all be welcome at the Ceremony. And indeed, we were just about to start the rehearsal for tomorrow.

GUARDIAN: And it is time to start. Do join us.

[He stands facing the pile of machinery, as if heading a procession. The DELEGATES and officers start forming behind him.]

ONE OF THE GROUP: But why does there have to be a Ceremony? Aren’t we just going to walk right out?

[This person, then others of the group, look at the Door propped up on the altar, look at each other, shake their heads, then start looking around. One sees the big Door right, indicates it to the others. This group moves over towards it.]

CHAIRMAN: Doctor, you have some more patients.

FOURTH PRECEPT: I’m glad you made it. But be quiet. Don’t argue. Don’t fight.

[This new group, the FOURTH PRECEPT, his two allies, are now close to the big Door. It is hard now to doubt that it is brighter. And surely the humming sound is louder.]

FIRST LOW-LEVELLER: I’ve never seen any of that lot before.

THIRD LOW-LEVELLER: I wonder what Level they are from?

ONE OF THE NEW GROUP: We come from all the Levels. Not just from one.

FOURTH LOW-LEVELLER: Are you from ‘The Door Will Open Soon’ Society?

ANOTHER OF THE NEW GROUP: From all the societies.

ANOTHER: Or from none.

GUARDIAN: Shouldn’t we be getting on? Chairman?

CHAIRMAN: Of course. Assistant to the Guardian of the Door …

[One of the DELEGATES whose function this is starts shepherding members of the Conference, and the LOW-LEVELLERS, into a neater line behind the GUARDIAN. He hands them garlands of plastic and paper flower.]

GUARDIAN: I’ll just run through my opening lines. [as if delivering a sennon, but rather fast] Many thousands of years ago, no one knows how many, a natural disaster or a war sealed us in this Under Place. We understand from the old records that a few survivors, known to us as The First People, laid the basis of this our society, excavating the First Level of the Under City. Water supplies were discovered and ensured, and the cultivation of mushrooms, our staple food, begun. The Sacred Machines were placed here, at the gate of the Outside, for it was revealed to the First People that it will be the Sacred Machines which will announce to the Door the moment it must open … Etcetera and so on.

A DELEGATE: Lovely old stuff, isn’t it?

ANOTHER: I’ve done this so often I could do it in my sleep.

ANOTHER: If the Door did actually open some of us would get the shock of our lives.