DEVLIN And did he? Did he put his hand round your throat?

REBECCA Oh yes. He did. He did. And he held it there, very gently, very gently, so gently. He adored me, you see.

DEVLIN He adored you?

Pause.

DEVLIN (cont.) What do you mean, he adored you? What do you mean?

Pause.

DEVLIN (cont.) Are you saying he put no pressure on your throat? Is that what you’re saying?

REBECCA No.

DEVLIN What then? What are you saying?

REBECCA He put a little . . . pressure . . . on my throat, yes. So that my head started to go back, gently but truly.

DEVLIN And your body? Where did your body go?

REBECCA My body went back, slowly but truly.

DEVLIN So your legs were opening?

REBECCA Yes.

Pause.

DEVLIN Your legs were opening?

REBECCA Yes.

Silence.

DEVLIN Do you feel you’re being hypnotized?

REBECCA When?

DEVLIN Now.

REBECCA No.

DEVLIN Really?

REBECCA No.

DEVLIN Why not?

REBECCA Who by?

DEVLIN By me.

REBECCA You?

DEVLIN What do you think?

REBECCA I think you’re a fuckpig.

DEVLIN Me a fuckpig? Me! You must be joking.

Rebecca smiles.

REBECCA Me joking? You must be joking.

Pause.

DEVLIN You understand why I’m asking you these questions. Don’t you? Put yourself in my place. I’m compelled to ask you questions. There are so many things I don’t know. I know nothing . . . about any of this. Nothing. I’m in the dark. I need light. Or do you think my questions are illegitimate?

Pause.

REBECCA What questions?

Pause.

DEVLIN Look. It would mean a great deal to me if you could define him more clearly.

REBECCA Define him? What do you mean, define him?

DEVLIN Physically. I mean, what did he actually look like? If you see what I mean? Length, breadth . . . that sort of thing. Height, width. I mean, quite apart from his . . . disposition, whatever that may have been . . . or his character . . . or his spiritual . . . standing . . . I just want, well, I need . . . to have a clearer idea of him . . . well, not a clearer idea . . . just an idea, in fact . . . because I have absolutely no idea . . . as things stand . . . of what he looked like.

I mean, what did he look like? Can’t you give him a shape for me, a concrete shape? I want a concrete image of him, you see . . . an image I can carry about with me. I mean, all you can talk of are his hands, one hand over your face, the other on the back of your neck, then the first one on your throat. There must be more to him than hands. What about eyes? Did he have any eyes?

REBECCA What color?

Pause.

DEVLIN That’s precisely the question I’m asking you . . . my darling.

REBECCA How odd to be called darling. No one has ever called me darling. Apart from my lover.

DEVLIN I don’t believe it.

REBECCA You don’t believe what?