Requiem for a Nun

REQUIEM FOR A NUN 267

then the other baby came, the infant, the doomed sacrifice (though of course

we dont know that yet) and you would have thought that this was surely

enough, that now even Temple Drake would consider herself safe, could be

depended on, having two-what do sailors call them? oh yes,

sheet-anchors-now. Only it wasn't enough. Because Hemingway was right. I

mean, the gir-woman in his book. All you have got to do is, refuse to

accept. Only, you have got to ... refuse

STEVENS

Now, the letters-

GOVERNOR

(watching Temple) Be quiet, Gavin.

STEVENS

No, I'm going to talk a while now. We'll even stick to the sports metaphor

and call it a relay race, with the senior member of the team carrying the .

. . baton, twig, switch, sapling, tree-whatever you want to call the

symbolical wood, up what remains of the symbolical hill.

(the lights flicker, grow slightly dimmer, then flare back up and

steady again, as though in a signal, a warning)

The letters. The blackmail. The blackmailer was Red's younger brother-a

criminal of course, but at least a man-

TEMPLE

No! No!

STEVENS

(to Temple)

Be quiet too. It only goes up a hill, not over a precipice. Besides, it's

only a stick. The letters were not first. The first thing was the gratitude.

And now we have even come to the husband, my nephew. And when I say 'past,'

I mean that part of it which the husband knows so far, which apparently was

enough in his estimation. Because it was not long before she discovered,

realized, that she was going to spend a good part of the rest of her days

(nights too) being forgiven for it; in being not only constantly reminded-