The Idol

Mikhalych. To verify that you are the person you mentioned and not a different one.

Mancev. What do you mean a different one?

Mikhalych. It doesn’t matter. My business is simple – to deliver, hand in and take a receipt.

Mancev. My ID is in my room. Should I get it?

Mikhalych. Yes please. As soon as possible, I am in a hurry.

Mancev. I’ll be right back. Stay here okay!

Sumyatov. This is Victor Mancev in fact. I guarantee.

Levan. Hey, listen, why are you troubling the man? Give him a letter!

Mikhalych. Okay, okay! But only because the people who I know personally guaranteed me that you are Victor Mancev. Put your signature here. And now I am running away! (Leaves quickly).

Levan. You have been waiting for it, guy!

Mancev. You are right Levan. It looks like it’s the long-waited one. (Leaves).

Alla Bokova with a suit case enters.

Sumyatov. Are you leaving?

Аllа. Yes, going home. I just wanted to say good-bye.

Sumyatov. Unfortunately, there is nobody here.

Аllа. I was looking for you. Are you surprised?

Sumyatov. Frankly, not much.

Аllа. Don’t be too much self-confident. I am not going to confess in love.

Sumyatov. I didn’t even think that.

Аllа. Listen, haven’ you quitted your idea yet?

Sumyatov. Which idea? What are you talking about?

Аllа. Do you remember the evening when we met?

Sumyatov. Sure I do. You were sitting at that very table and were getting bored to death. I joined you…

Аllа. You told me that you came here to uncrown the idols.

Sumyatov. I assume those words belonged to you.

Аllа. Okay, let it be my words. But my guess is true, right?

Sumyatov. Well, well…

Аllа. I want to ask you. Do you have an idea about what?

Sumyatov. I suppose that not to do that, right?

Аllа. Vice versa. I pledge you: do fulfill your idea. Go on, write! Write so that those idols, those heroes of crowd would be completely screwed up.

Sumyatov. You are telling this!? I would never think that. But why?

Аllа. Maybe it will help them to recover their sight and get ashamed.

Sumyatov. Are they supposed to be ashamed of those who incense them and make them blind like moles? This is so na?ve.

Аllа. No. I want them to be ashamed of themselves. I want them to see that a price for their vanity is a sorrow of their old mothers and tears of their abandoned children… If only something human sill remained in them…

Sumyatov. If…

Аllа. I have thought much during today. Perhaps more than during my whole life. I understood that you were right. There is either all or nobody.

Sumyatov. Was I right?

Аllа. Don’t you doubt it yourself now?

Sumyatov. Who told you that? I don’t change my beliefs so quickly.

Аllа. It just seemed to me. Well, good-bye then!

Sumyatov. Will we see each other again?

Аllа. I doubt it… at least in this life.

Sumyatov. Should I see you off?

Аlla. Oh, no. There is another person.

Sumyatov. Sorry.

Аllа. And please remember: one can’t make his own happiness out of somebody’s sorrow. There is a weak point of all those idols.

Sumyatov. Wait!

Аllа. Good-bye! (Leaving).

Sumyatov. There is either one crazy less in this world or I am going crazy myself

Victor Mancev enters.