Stenham - No Quarter

Shelves are lined with books. The house has been restored and rebuilt by Lily. Certain details reflect this. There are two side doors. One exits to the kitchen, the other to the rest of the house.The curtains are drawn. The room dim.

Over the scene the sky outside darkens to dusk.Robin stands in the centre of the room, barefoot. He lights a cigarette. There is a sudden banging at the door. Robin turns slowly. Oliver (off) Robin? ROBIN. Robin doesnt react. More banging. I know youre in there.

I saw the car. More banging.Robin smokes the last of his cigarette. He stubs it out carefully. He pours a drink from the bar and takes a sip. He rests the glass on the piano. He takes a breath and turns to the rattling door.

It is bolted shut. Robin unlocks it. ROBIN, OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR! Robin flings open the door. Oliver is revealed. He is older than Robin by a decade. He wears a crumpled suit and loosened tie. Mum. Mum.

Our mother. Is she here? Robin Mum? Yikes. No. Should she be? Robin seems drunk. Thick with it. Oliver Are you absolutely sure? Robin Yes, Im sure. Why so serious? Oliver Shes missing.

From the care home. Again. Robin Is that all? Oh relax. Shell turn up. She did last time. (Slurs.) No need to get your suit in a twist. Beat. Its Tuesday. No. Thursday. No. No.

Definitely Tuesday. Maybe its even Friday. Is it Friday? Oliver Oh, forget it. Robin Shouldnt you be in London anyway? I thought you had a vote. Or did the Tree House give you the day off? As its a Friday and all. Oliver Its a fucking Tuesday.

Robin I knew it. Always go with your first instinct. Oliver How did you know I had a vote? Robin I follow it sometimes. Always fun to see the big bro on the box. You look so tiny. But look. But look.

Here you are. In all your life-size glory. A little field trip to the country, is it? Got your packed lunch? Oliver Shut up. Robin I must say its very exotic to have you down these parts. Now that youre so urbane. MP for Ilford North no less.

Do they have Oliver I think you mean urban. Robin What? Oliver Urban, not urbane. Robin Do they have any idea, your constituents, what manor. Actual. Literal. Manor.

You spring from? Oliver Im not getting into this again, Robin, its boring and its irrelevant. Look, if she Robin Its a twisting irony that after so many years of people trying to ferret their way up the socio-economic scale, you would like nothing more than to slither all the way down it. Do you adopt an accent in Ilford North, blud? I bet the Tree House encourages it Oliver If she turns up here go to the payphone in the village. But walk. Dont drive. Ill leave my numbers here.

I presume your mobile is still in the Thames? Robin shrugs.Oliver sets the door handle down. Robin pounces on it. Robin You brute, you broke it. You pulled too hard. Oliver Its a door handle, youre meant to pull hard. Robin Ill fix it, give it here. Oliver This place is falling apart.

Robin No its not. Oliver The roof is sagging, I saw from the drive. Robin Dont say that. Its cruel. Oliver To whom? Robin The house. He lights a cigarette, swaying a little. Oliver Its a building, not a person.

Why the hell are you back here anyway? Isnt it term time? Robin taps ash provocatively on to the floor. This pace is a tinderbox, Robin, do not be a Robin does it again. PRICK. Give me that. He grabs the cigarette off Robin and chucks it outside. Oliver Its the middle of the week. Dont you have classes? Dont you have something, anything else to do Robin Im working actually. Im composing a theme tune. Oliver Youve come all the way up here to Robin I like the quiet.

And someone has to take care of the place after you put her in the little-old-lady prison, we cant leave it unmanned. Its our land. Oliver Its the best care home in the county, Robin; I will not go through this again. Robin Its a little old lady prison and you know it Now if you dont mind I must start composing. Oliver A theme tune to what exactly? Robin My fantastic life, now sod off. Oliver Hold on I get it.

You finally got kicked out, didnt you? Robin I left actually. Oliver Thats why youre back here in the middle of term. Ran home to the castle. Reinstalled yourself. Glass in one hand. Cock in another.

Robin I was not kicked out. Beat. We came to a mutual agreement. Oliver Well done. One hand clapping in a fucking forest yet again. Robin heads to the bar. He stands so that he is blocking the closed kitchen door.

He pours a drink. What are you doing? Robin Im water-skiing, what does it look like? Oliver Its two in the Oh forget it. Robin Well, as its your day off, why dont you join me? Oliver I hate how you make me this person. This person who has to nag you. To tell you off. I am not this fucking person Robin We could go fishing. Hold on. Hold on.

I forgot you renounced all that. Tree-house rules. Oliver STOP CALLING IT THAT. The House of Commons is not a fucking tree house. Beat. Robin Well it sort of is if you think about it boys with their toys up high. Oliver I said to myself.

On the way up. If you were here, we werent going to do this. And were not. Were just not. OK? (Almost to himself.) I should have insisted on a phone here. Robin Off you trot then.

Ill let you know if she turns up. Oliver has taken off his tie and balled it in his hand during the last sequence. He absent-mindedly leaves it on the sofa. He starts looking for something. Oliver If you dont pass out first. And let me know how exactly? By fucking carrier pigeon? Can you even get to the payphone in the village this pissed? Where are your shoes? Robin I dont like shoes. Oliver How bohemian of you.

Robin I find them restricting. We were not born in tiny shoes. Robin stares out of the garden doors. Its almost more beautiful in winter. The land. Starker. He cocks his head. Robin Hold on. He cocks his head. Robin Hold on.

Can you hear that? Oliver What? Robin I can hear it really faintly I think its hold on, is it faint crying? Oliver Where? Who? Robin I hear faint mewling I think its the state crying for its nanny Time to go, dont you think? Oliver Oh get a job, Robin. Robin I work, you skunk, I write. Just because I dont have a fucking desk. Oliver gives him a withering look. He then spies what he was looking for. It is a clay mouse.

Made by a child. He handles it delicately.Robin shoves some pages of music at Oliver. Look. Oliver Yes. Because playing the piano on your own. To yourself. In the middle of nowhere.

Is a very serious important job, Robin. Its so very useful. Beat.He looks at him properly. This place holds you back. Its sad actually. When you can run back here youll never Robin Enter the fray? Give a shit. Have you seen the fray lately? I reject the fray.

Oliver Or did it reject you? Robin What did you say? Oliver Dont get too used to it up here, princeling. Remember its not just your house and it never will be. Robin (