"To Madeleine" "The little escapes" "Pipe!" "Look round the back!" "Are you there, Pipe?" "Haven't you seen Pipe?" "Where the deuce is he?" "Have you found him?" "No." "He isn't there." "Have a look in his room!" "Is he there?" "No." "His overalls are on the bed and his Sunday clothes aren't there." "He's gone..." "Where do you suppose he's gone?" "Grandma, Pipe is here!" "What's that?" "This is my bike." "Quite a solid affair!" "Has Pipe got a bike?" "Isn't Pipe coming to eat?" "I don't know, he's brooding outside." "And his bike?" "Well, still in his room." "Does he sleep with it?" "No more apples?" "In the room." "Did you bring Stephane's things down?" "I'm washing." "Damn it!" "I'll fetch them." "I'll bring them down." " Aren't you eating?" " No time." "Alright, old man?" "Look, he's working for a change!" "Where are you going?" "I'm just dropping this off." "See you later." "Your dough is in the kitchen!" "Your old age pension has arrived." "Don't leave it lying on the buffet." "You could have given it to me." "Hey, kitty cat." "What are you at?" "And to pay?" "It'll be done, don't worry..." "To pay..." "Do you think it's a good idea to leave it in your room?" " Will it not make everything dirty?" " Of course not." "It's clean." "Ok, it's clean." "But what do you want to do with this bike?" "It won't come in useful." "At least, I don't think so." "It's none of my business, after all." "I'm leaving your tea here." "Good prospects tonight!" "The vast anticyclone centered over Western Europe is moving slowly eastwards, maintaining dry and warm weather in our country." "Our forecast until tomorrow evening:" "After morning fogs have cleared, sunny weather throughout." "In Cairo, televised speech..." "Switch it off." "Don't you want to hear the news?" "Not for her ears..." "Has anybody come round for the TV?" "Yes... they sent a young man." "He said it was the same problem as with the first channel." "Somebody must have fiddled with it, he said." "Who tampered with it on Friday?" "I haven't touched it!" " The boy's always there, what's more." " That's right, blame the boy." "The gentleman from the service department phoned today." "He said that Thursday suited him." " In the morning?" " Towards 9 a. m., he said." "What's he coming poking around?" "Well, the farm." " Will he eat here?" " Yes, I think so." "I don't know." "Go and play elsewhere!" " It's cheerful around here!" " It's Saturday!" "May I not sing?" "I couldn't care less, you know." " May I have a spin with?" " The moped?" "Why don't you take his?" "Hey, Guapetto!" "Granddad will squirt water at you!" "Guapetto yourself!" "Stop insulting my kid!" "He'll beat the hell out of you once he's grown." "Mamma mia!" "I'm scared!" "Have you brought your bike out?" " No." " Have you asked Luigi?" " No." "I'm in the shit!" "I can't get out." "Stop trying to show off!" "What a stupid guy." "No need to show me." "It isn't difficult." "Wipe your hands first." "Well!" "Can I put the car away?" "I'm letting it dry." "It'll soon be ready." "Yes, but I've had enough now." "I'm getting worked up" " Have you finished with the courtyard?" " No, there's a bit to be done still." "Goddamn it, I'll show you what's what!" "Do you think I'm stupid or what?" "You look after your kid now, Josiane." "I don't want to see you hanging around!" "You know what I've told you!" "You'll see where all that bike stuff will get you!" "What an asshole!" "Who does he think he is?" "Don't make it roar like that." "See my hand?" "Yes, but shut it off now." " How's that work?" " What?" "Shutting off." "Don't know, put on the brakes." "It's not moving, no need to put on the brakes." "I tell you, I don't know." "Close the valve, shut it off, for heaven's sake!" "Watch this." "Did you see, I pressed on here." "What's that?" "That's the lever to shut off, isn't it?" "I can see that." "I'm not stupid." "But in there, why does it shut off?" "You want to know it all." "It's my bike after all." "OK then, the petrol goes through here into there." "It's very hot in there." "Then the plug causes a..." "Yes, like a knife on a whetstone." "Like a lighter." "A spark." "Spark... okay." "Well, the plug causes a spark and "bang" makes the petrol explode." "My God, that's why it makes that noise?" "Yes... it bursts... the piston goes off like a gun." " Where does it go?" " It's easy." "It goes down... pushes this here which pushes the wheel... and that makes the wheels of the bike turn." "And where does the piston go?" "It stays here, comes back and goes... goes like this." "Like a puffer." "Yes, like this, understand?" "Where did you learn that?" "From my brother, he makes Motoguzzis." "What's that?" "Italian motorbikes." "He repairs them, he's a mechanic." "Josiane, are you coming?" "We're leaving." "Go without me." "Aren't you coming?" "It'd do you good." "With Stephane..." "You could look after him for once!" "Leave him here." "She has to come, and that's it." "Don't interfere." "Listen, Josiane, this isn't very nice of you." "You could at least answer." "But I've got work to do, Mum." "I don't feel like it." " A pity for you." " Yes, a pity." "Up!" "Yes, and then?" "Here, the choc." ""Choke", not choc... and then?" "The pedal." "You see... you've forgotten it all." "That's all." "Is it running?" "I can't hear." "Press down the pedal?" "Sure, what are you waiting for?" "But the motor, will it start up?" "Why not?" "Have a go." "Go ahead!" "Release the accelerator." "What're you afraid of?" "I'm not afraid." "It's easy, isn't it?" "That's it, but you're letting her rip, then the bike runs at top speed." "It doesn't matter." "Did you hear the noise it made?" "That doesn't matter, once again... but accelerate only slightly." "You sure?" "It's easy..." "Ready?" "Go ahead, accelerate, for God's sake!" "Shall I go?" "I'll let go now." "Accelerate, accelerate, that's it!" "Turn, turn!" "Turn, for God's sake!" "Pipe, you OK?" "Not OK?" "No, I'm not." "Where does it hurt?" "Not hurt." "Did you see?" "Good heavens!" "Don't you touch that bike again!" " Why?" " It's your fault." " You're crazy." " You said I was to turn." "Yes, that's right, you have to when the road makes a bend." "You didn't show me how." "Now get lost!" "Turning isn't difficult." "It wasn't I who was on it." "You're not lying under it either." "Go away." "I no longer need you if it's easy." "Talk Italian, I don't care." "Bastard, go!" "I'll show you... savages!" "Are you breaking the shed?" "I was only playing with that thing... it fell on the roof." "I was watching." "What're you doing here?" "Well, I'm watching you." "And Pipe?" "He's crazy." "He fell off his bike." "Is he hurt?" "He said it was my fault." "I didn't show him how to turn." "He rode down the road like mad." "And then?" "Then he shouted at me." "Wants to do it himself." "What're you doing now?" "Don't know." "You bored?" "No work today." "You never bored on a Sunday?" "No." "Didn't you go out in the car?" "You can see." "Why not?" "Don't know." "They get on my nerves." "Shall we go for a walk?" "Yes, OK." "Can you turn?" "It's easy." "What's your father think of it?" "Not that thrilled." " Have you taken over yet?" " Not yet." "Have you got the figures?" "The booklet, yes." "As for the bank, he has to decide on that." "Yes, but we need a project, it's too vague like this." "Sure, it's too early yet, but it's not going to be easy." "He'll have to do something about it one day." "But right now he doesn't agree." "Otherwise he'd be here." "Excuse me, I have to fetch my scissors." "My mother..." "Mr. Piguet, the adviser from the association." "Don't let me disturb you." "Well, I'll be going." "Let's have a look at the booklet." "You cleaning them inside, too?" "Blasted hose!" "And now, what will you do?" "Have you come to make fun of old folk?" "Shall I turn it off?" "I'm old enough!" "Here's your boot, Mr. Pipe." "Otherwise, all's well?" "You come to see your sweetheart?" " How do you know?" " A little bird." "Your sweety's in the kitchen turning the world upside-down." " How?" "The one with this car..." "Must be the adviser." "No sick people in hospital?" "No, my day off." "How's it going with your bike?" " What bike?" " Stop playing around, it was in the paper." "Not true." " Will you show it to me?" " It's put away." " In my room." " Then show it to me there." "Not now." "I'd like to see it." " Now?" " Yes." "It's nice, isn't it?" " Of course." " Can you ride it?" "I've learnt to..." "You've got a nice room." "I've never been here." "The Matterhorn?" "As you can see." "Why did you hang it up here?" "It's nice there." " Aren't you eating?" " Not hungry." "Well then, Alain?" "What?" "What did the adviser say?" "A lot." "What did you do in the kitchen?" "Operational budget." "What's that?" "So we know where we're going." "Can't you explain it to us a bit better?" "There's nothing to explain." "You wouldn't understand, only figures." " We're not stupid!" " It's true, Alain." "Go and play, you can take a biscuit." "Explain now!" "You do it so you can work out the profit per sector, the total value." "We don't need all this." "Yes, we have to know where we stand." "We can plant potatoes without them." " That doesn't pay." " Is it my fault?" "I never said so." "That doesn't change anything." "What now?" " That's clear enough." " Not for us." "Invest where it's profitable and give up the rest." "Simple enough, just invest!" "Your Piguet wants to invest!" "What is one to invest in?" "In cattle." "And give up all the rest?" "Not all, but produce only for the cattle." "Where'd you put it?" "The shed's full." "That's why we must find something else." "What do they suggest?" "They don't suggest anything, they don't care at all." "But you must have an idea." "Stalling?" "Pull all down and let it for parking." "A possibility with what we can invest." "And the debts?" "Think we're made of it?" "Included in the figures." "Don't think we're stupid, they know their job." "Stalling... a fixed idea." "How much would that mean investing?" "He worked it out... you'd need about 140,000." "But where do we take it from?" "From the bank!" "In 20 years all would be paid back including earlier debts." "Without a profit?" "No, with a normal salary, not outstanding, just right." "But isn't this crazy?" "You can wait a long time for that!" "See, there's no point in it... we can't discuss it seriously." "You're as stubborn as the others." "I'm talking now!" "I don't want to vegetate here for ever!" "Remember!" "This project is going to be completed in any case." "Then decide!" "Either we do it or I go." "Don't complain afterwards." "I'm fed up, I won't lose anymore time." "Don't take it to heart like that." "Sit down and stop thinking about it." "It's silly to cry like this, but it helps." "Sometimes things happen as if all was going wrong." "I had a strange dream last night." "All the tiles fell off the roof." "Not the slightest wind and yet they kept falling down." "I didn't dare go outside." "The people of the village came to see." "I ran through the whole house looking for the others." "Silly, isn't it?" "I was so afraid." "What will you do if Alain leaves?" "I don't know." "The experiment station may take him." "In Lausanne?" "Does he really think so?" "Not really." "It's just a possibility." "And you?" "Would you prefer to stay in Lausanne?" "I'd rather stay here." "So would Alain." "Shall we make some coffee?" "I'm exhausted." "We'll wash the dishes afterwards." "I'm coming." "Where's the fire?" "In a hurry?" "What do you want?" "For the bike here." "Petrol please." "At how much?" "I don't know." " How much is it?" " Is it your bike?" "Of course!" "What percentage?" "I've no idea." "2, 4 or 5?" "You should know." "2 liters." "Percentage?" "Doesn't it say on the cap?" "Here, look here!" "2 percent." "Come here." "I need to know." "Without sufficient oil your bike's had it." "2 liters, you said?" "It's the first time." " Look at this!" " Oh, my God!" "The tank was half full." "What am I to do with the rest?" "Sorry, but I have to charge you for it." "2 francs 15." "Doesn't use much." "Where're you going like that?" "Home." "Is the boss here?" "Hello!" "In the barn." "Did you see me yesterday?" "The whole village noticed you." "0.8... you know what that means?" "I wasn't drunk, I was just in a hurry." "Who is it?" "It's Pierrot." "Which one?" "The policeman... he's going to tell you lies." "I'm itching here." "You'll soon know what's itching you!" "Your bike will ruin you." "Hi, Francine, it's Josiane Duperreux." "How goes?" "Getting on?" "From home." "I want to ask you something." "Who do I tell if I don't come to work?" "Well, it's not pneumonia, you see..." "Can you tell them?" "I'm not coming in." "Stebler." "But can't you tell him?" "I can't stand him, let alone on the phone." "OK, pass him to me." "Ready..." "He'll pull a face when he sees this." "Be mad, you mean." "Nothing to be mad about." "He ought to congratulate us." "And give us a rise in pay." "Hey, you up there!" "What's up?" "If one single sack bursts," "I'll kick you in the ass." "They won't burst." "You understand, Pipe, if one bursts, you'll know, I promise you." "I've just about had enough of this gang." "Did you see?" "He didn't dare shout at us." "Where're you going?" "Wait." "What're you doing?" "Coming or what?" "What did you do?" "It's nothing." "What music is that?" "It's Josiane... with the child." "Oh?" "But the lad is back there." "Don't know... without the child then." "What's up?" "But I told you it's nothing, come on!" "She's pretty, Josiane, isn't she?" "Yes, she's pretty." "You coming or not?" "Yes, she's very pretty." "Oh, there you are!" "What're you doing?" "!" "No, it can't be, that's my blouse." "Come here!" "I'll teach you, tearing my clothes!" "To bed with you, you brat!" "I've had enough." "Call your grandma, it's no use." "What's going on up there?" "If you call that "looking after him"..." "And what if it had been your blouse?" "It's wrong to talk of it in front of him." "Do you realize the trouble it causes?" "One's always in the wrong with you." "Don't you care a damn what you do?" "How you talk to your mother..." "Is that the thanks she gets?" "You can't even work properly!" "That's my business." "Stop it, this isn't the right time."