JOSEF: I am well. Good evening.

ROO: Take a seat. I’ll fix the fire, put some lights on.

He moves around to put a log on the fire, turn on light switches.

Celebratin’ something, are you?

JOSEF looks in question.

The cigar—thought you might’ve found yourself a boardin’ house?

JOSEF: No, no. [Fumbling for his cigar case] Would you care to smoke? They are old stock, I’m afraid. Very dry.

ROO: [shaking his head] Not my style. ’Sides, Emma—Mrs Leech—she don’t like the smell of ’em.

JOSEF, dismayed, looks around for the nearest ashtray.

’S okay. She’ll prob’bly take it from a visitor.

JOSEF: Is best not. I have come to ask a favour. [Grinding out the cigar] One of the Gastwirtin—landladies—she says that she will take me as a boarder, if Mrs Leech will recommend me. As a person of good character.

ROO: Well—put it up to her, I s’pose. [A generous impulse to make amends.] Look—hope you understand, the other night, we wasn’t tryin’ to freeze you out. Barn ’n’ me are canecutters, and we come down here every year for the slack. That’s a good five months we’re livin’ on the premises—

JOSEF: Of course.

ROO: What I mean—’s nothin’ to do with nationalities. The season up North, we got fellers on the team from everywhere. Just when we come down South, this house has always been a special place, me and Barney—

JOSEF: Please. Is no need to explain.

ROO: Long as you understand. Wouldn’t want you thinkin’ we was being—anyway.

He moves briskly to collect his coat and slouch hat.

Make yourself at home, uh?

ROO ascends the stairs as BUBBA re-appears from the kitchen.

BUBBA: What’s all this about Royal Park? [Calling after ROO] Barney says he got the telephone from Royal Park?!

ROO: [from above] Did he now?

BARNEY re-enters from the kitchen. He has discarded his overcoat and slouch hat and is giving the cleaned-up telephone a last rub with a cloth.

BUBBA: Bet I know what happened. [Following BARNEY into the main room] You’ve got word on your discharge—right?

BARNEY: Never you mind. You wanna stay here, make yourself useful. Go and get a hammer and some staples.

BUBBA: [as she goes] It’s your discharge, I bet you—what do staples look like?

BARNEY: Like a—doesn’t matter. Nails. Hammer and some nails.

BUBBA rushes off. BARNEY puts the cloth and telephone aside and starts to shift the piano away from the wall. This physical activity is allied to a move he now makes to get rid of JOSEF.

Hope you don’t have plans for hangin’ round here, Fieldie. Got a few things on the go tonight.

JOSEF: I understand, I think. From what the young girl—