SCENE: "HIT ME"
VERSION 04; 13.04.04
(currently scene 6)

[The man, dressed in a suit, is lying across the side line, or alternatively with his body half way under the net. His arms are stretched out at his sides. He is surrounded by tennis balls.]

VOICE 1: No news?

MAN: No news?

VOICE 2: No news, only rumours. Good journalism is vey hard to keep up.

MAN: Good journalism is vey hard to keep up.

VOICE 1: But note the record harvest. Almsost sureal.

VOICE 2: Sureal, yes. But otherwise rather charming.

MAN: Otherwise rather charming.

VOICE 1: Why does he keep repeating what we say? What is he playing at?

[From his postion on the floor, the man has started to draw a line around his body with chalk]

VOICE 2: Look. Can you stop repeating what others say, and speak with your own voice!

MAN: Listen. Can you stop repeating what others say, and speak with your own voice!

VOICE 2: Whatever comes his way, he plays with it.

MAN: Whatever comes my way, I play with it.

[He abrubtly jumps up, pulls out a tape measure from his pocket and statrs measuring distances between the outline of his body, and the balss lying on the floor. As he is finished with a measurment he picks the ball up, holds it a while, and puts it in his pocket]

VOICE 1: What ever the consequences?

MAN: Whatever the consequences. But first I measure the risks.

VOICE 2: He measures the risks.

MAN: Yes. I measure the risks. Look. How long have I been here?

VOICE 1: How long has he been here?

VOICE 2: It's hard to tell. Probably about forty-five minutes, I'd say. He's measuring the risks.

MAN: Yes. I make measurements, calculations, assessments. I test heights, widths, depths, lengths, angles, speeds, ranges, probabilities.Weigh the light against the dark.

VOICE 1: So, in a situation like this, how would you measure evil? Is the heart of the problem below the surface?

MAN: You have to go deeper than that. If you only attend to the mere surface of things, the reality, the reality I tell you, fades ...

VOICE 1: How far?

MAN: How far does it fade?

VOICE 1: No. How much deeper. How much deeper do you need to go?

MAN: A few centimetres maybe. Sometimes a few centimetres is all it takes. At any rate, it's a very fine line.

VOICE 1: And if the line was crossed, what would the response be?

MAN: If you are led to believe from birth that the whole world is out to get you, then any response, any response is legitemate.

VOICE 1: Any response?

MAN: Yes. Any response is legitimate.

VOICE 1: Even though it may be wrong?

MAN: I said it was legitimate, not right, not wrong. That is just a matter of perspectives.

VOICE 1: And you play with anything that comes your way?

MAN: Not everything. But if I come across anything irresistable, anything significant, I'll play it as close to the edge as I can.

VOICE 1: So you are willing to go very close to the edge where matters of great importance are concerned?

MAN: If the situation is critical, yes.

VOICE 1: And you are willing to sacrifice the things you hold dear?

MAN: [Under his breath] Better to have loved and lost than never ....

VOICE 2: Can you please speak up. The air conditioning system is drowning your voice.

MAN: I said love means nothing in this game.

VOICE 2: Pick up that ball.

MAN: Which one?

VOICE 2: Over there. It's got a name on it.

MAN: This one.

VOICE 2: How does it feel?

MAN: Warm, smooth, soft, almost alive.

VOICE 2: That's the one. Now, hit me.

MAN: What!

VOICE 2: I said, hit it. Again. Hit me.

WOMAN'S VOICE: Hit me. Hit me.