The Conformist. City life scenes in four acts

Katya. I’ll stay with you, Mitya.

Mitya. Remember this day! Today a new life was born in us! Let us live, Katya! Let us live!

Katya. Somebody’s coming.

Gromov enters.

Mitya. Hello, dad! This is Katherine.

Katya. Hello, Leonid Fyodorovich.

Gromov. Hello, Katherine. (Turns to Mitya, threatens him) What have you done?

Mitya. What’s happened?

Gromov. He dares to ask! Mother’s been on edge all night long! Where have you been?

Mitya. I was relaxing. (Cringing)

Gromov. Why don’t you answer calls?

Mitya. I’ve lost my phone somewhere. (almost hopelessly)

Gromov. Nikolay Orlov was shot yesterday. (Katya groans)

Gromov. There’s an idea that it was you.

Mitya. (He can’t say a word, because he’s amazed).

Silence.

Gromov. Mind you! If you did it, I’m not going to cover up for you. This time you’ll go to prison!

Mitya. Is Nikolay alive?

Gromov. At first there was a leak he was dead. The man who found him in the street, covered with blood, notified the security of the building. They called Victoria Lebedeva’s office which he had left short before that, and then the police. Now Nikolay is in hospital. He has an exit wound in his shoulder, the bullet went through and through.

Mitya. It wasn’t me.

Gromov. In the morning Colonel Surganov, my ex-colleague, called me. He knows the investigation officer in charge and he says the situation is really serious. The elections are pending… everything’s been turned upside down, the affair is under personal control of the director of the Head Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Mitya. I didn’t do it.

Katya. We were at my place together.

Gromov. I wish I believed that.

Mitya. Dad, don’t you believe me?

Gromov. I don’t know, Mitya.

Mitya. Do you believe me?!

Gromov. I couldn’t believe you gave up studying in London. I could never believe you gambled your new car away. I couldn’t imagine you were taking drugs until I saw you lying in the bathroom with foam at the mouth. How can I believe you now?

Mitya. You don’t believe me, then.

Gromov. Listen to this. You’ll go to the police right now and give testimony. Katherine, can you confirm he has been with you all this time?

Katya. Yes. We’ve been together. The whole night.

Mitya. I didn’t do it! Father!

Gromov. Stay here and wait. I’ll call our lawyer. (Leaves)

Katya. Listen to your father. He’ll settle everything out.

Mitya. He doesn’t believe me.

Katya. I believe you, Mitya! I love you! Everything will be fine!

Mitya. I am sorry, Katya. I must go. I’ll do it myself. Please, go home now.

Katya. Mitya, no! Stay.

Mitya. I’ll come to you soon. Thank you, sweetheart. (Kisses Katya) I love you very much. It seems, for the first time in my life I really love. (Runs out)

Scene 5

Tuesday. It’s one day before the opening of the exhibition. Professor Lebedev’s house. Inna and Katya are talking with animation.

Katya. I’ll never forget the day when Mitya and I learnt that somebody had shot Nikolay Orlov. Are you angry at me, Inna?

Inna. Of course I’m not. I’m even happy that everything has become clear between us. Do you remember how we first met their company at a night club? Mitya started to court you first. I didn’t even pay attention to him then.

Katya. You were so absorbed with your preparing for your graduation play at the institute that you didn’t even notice me. Or did the director charm you that much? (Both laugh)

Inna. Yeah, yeah! You offered to go to the Dead Sea and I refused. Then I started dating Pavel from a basketball team, and Mitya went to London. We met again only half a year later when he came back and came to the avant garde exhibition in mum’s gallery together with Leonid Fyodorovich. Then it all got started.

He had grave problems in relationships with his father because of his studying and in a week Mitya had to go back to London.

Look, he sent me his verse from England then (takes out an envelope with a letter):

I’ll bring some sea foam to you

I gathered it to the sound of waves.

Like a silent smile of a thousand slaves,