"Hitching at this hour!" "You left your lights on." "Asshole!" "Half a mile back and you'd be dead." "If you'd been driving, you'd have..." "No, you'd have given the bum a lift." "Sorry, darling." "Want the front seat or the back?" "Why not grab some sleep?" "We'll try not to disturb you." "Today's Sunday." "Trucks don't run on Sundays." "Very fancy." "Could be an embassy car." "Foreigners give lifts." " You could've been diplomats." " Or a diplomat's chauffeur on an outing." "I'm not blind." "Polish plates." "You don't look like an embassy chauffeur." "There are more privately-owned cars now." "I saw a Mercedes 190 and two Jaguars in Warsaw." "We're well over the speed limit..." "He's an experienced driver." "Where are you headed?" "We're going to the marina." "Fine." "Pity you aren't going farther." "What if I hadn't pulled up?" "I'd be dead." "You do it for kicks?" "Life gets boring." "How old are you?" "Charged with manslaughter for running over a puppy." "Where to?" " Just dump the bag." " I'll bring it to you." " Club boat?" " No, she's ours." "Well, I'll be going." " Here a minute." " I've a long way to go." "I'll tell you something." " The bilge is full of water." " So bail it out." "Give you some advice." "Don't do it again." "Some people have no reflexes." "That's the way I hitch." "Except some folk brake sooner." "And don't give lifts." "I meant to scare you." "You did." "Cast off, will you?" " Ever done any sailing?" " No." "I walk." " You've got a treat in store, then." " I like walking." " I may try sailing someday." " We only came for the day." "Me too." " You left the windshield wipers?" " They won't get stolen around here." " How long are you going out for?" " Just till dawn." "Can I meet you then and hitch a ride back?" "I thought you wanted to have a go." " You need a hand, huh?" " We'll manage." " You wouldn't have chickened out?" " I knew you'd pull up in time." "You're a bum, but you're okay." "I knew you'd call me back." "I'm a mind reader." " You want to go on with the game." " You aren't in my class, kid." "But come aboard." "You need quick reflexes and discipline." "When I was training we had a bosun." "What was his name, Krystyna?" "He'd say: "Shin up that willow tree."" "It was an oak but we called it a willow if he said so." "Shit." "Sorry, lots of water down there." "We'd perch in the willow for an hour or two." "The oak, you mean." "To us it was a willow." "He'd tell us to cuckoo like cuckoos." "Did you?" "Brains weren't his strong point but he made men out of us." " Are we moving?" " Spit in the water." "We are moving!" " You can also dunk your foot." " You can, but you don't." "This isn't Lourdes." "I think I forgot the salt." "No, I didn't." "Did you name her after your wife?" "I left the cucumbers behind." "Is that your wife's name, "Christine"?" "Krystyna." "You haven't lost the keys?" "They're on the table." "You like black radishes?" "Great!" "I'd never have thought of it." "Nothing like vitamins." "Here." "Why do you carry that murderous thing?" "A knife comes in handy." "Especially in the woods." "You don't need one on the water but cutting your way through the woods..." "Sailing's easy." "It's when you hike you need a knife." "That's how it is in life." "You're a real child." "You could cut yourself." "Did you ever cut yourself?" "Take care, you never know." "I knew a seaman once, wanted to show off." "His pals were brighter than him." "They could tell jokes, do card tricks." "Anyway, he took a couple of bottles smashed them on the floor, took off his boots, climbed on a table..." "Bored?" "Coil that warp." "Show me how it's done." "I'm at the helm, you can't take over." " I can try." " You've got to know how." "It doesn't look that hard." "Make for that buoy." "It takes brains, not brawn." "Better get back to that warp." "Who are you ordering around?" "If two men are on board, one's the skipper." "Or the drill sergeant." "Were you in the army?" "University." "What are you?" "A gynaecologist?" "I write." "Like what?" "Ever read the "Sporting News"?" "Throw me my rucksack, please." "I'm off." "I'm a hiker, not a coolie." "You're soft." "There are 120 lakes here." "Why go this way?" "Give the gentleman his rucksack." "We'll go back another way." "Without me." "I'm no sucker." "Take my place." "I wasn't talking to you." "Why don't you both get in?" "12 noon." "It's ten past." "He doesn't have a watch." "Cooking something?" "A compass." "A big one." "No use for hiking." "You don't whistle on board." "Why not?" "It's not done." "Seamen get mastheaded for that." "Not hikers, though." "Shall I cuckoo?" " I should kick your ass!" " Let's head for shore." "If you can reach me." " Does he get a gold star?" " Andrzej, please!" "Okay, I'll take the helm." " Where are my boots?" " Where you chucked them." "Rub some on my back." " Sheep!" " Who?" "That cloud looks like a sheep." "The one on the left does." "It's breaking up." "Going to be a storm." " What's that, a gut feeling?" " Time for a swim." "We aren't moving." "The wind's dropped." "What now?" "Lunch." "That's a gut feeling." "No finger bowls?" "That gadget your invention?" "You don't think it's necessary?" "Try it without." "You spilled the soup." "Sit down." "Not eating?" "I want to get off." "You can paddle ashore." "It's in the fo'c'sle." "We're having lunch now." "Sailing's for grown-ups." "You wait for the wind." "A waste of time." " What would you do?" " Walk." "You walk for walking's sake." "Stop being silly and eat." "Steer for the shore." " Was that an order?" " It was." "Change course." "I want to land." " There's land all around." " This side's nearer." "And shallower." "So?" "We'll run aground paddling?" "Come on." "We'll find a way through." " Why did he climb on the table?" " Who?" "The bosun who smashed the bottles." "He was a seaman, not a bosun." "He jumped on the broken glass." "Blood spurted everywhere." "Tough guy." "Take your bib off." "Jump!" " Go get that paddle!" " I can't swim." "You want me to drown?" "Jump, I said!" "Give me the crocodile." "You'll ruin the deck." "I've got a delicate touch." "You'd swim if you fell in." "You try." "I'm only kidding." "There's a first-aid kit below." "Go dress those burns." "Need help?" "Let it go!" "You were rattled." "I didn't know where the wind was." "Next time check those telltales." "Want to try balancing her?" "Show us what you're made of." " Lean over the side, you mean?" " Yes." "It takes guts." "We're sailing!" "Sure, for sailing's sake." "Or walking's sake!" "Knife!" "I said it was shallow." "You had the helm." "Let's push her off." "The wind's dropped." "It's quite deep there." "Hand me the oar." "Don't look." "Pass us some cups." "Medicine." "To those at sea." "Let's blow up the mattresses." "See who does it first." "Some asshole they've sent to Ankara!" " Our best middleweight." " I meant the commentator." "Do you play bridge?" "Pity." " No cards?" " No fourth." " We could play with a dummy." " No dummies on this boat." "Here are the real ones." " You start." " I don't know the game." "Come on, get on with it." "The loser pays a forfeit." "You mustn't move the others, right?" "It's quite simple." "You moved one." "A forfeit." "Thank you." "Use that delicate touch." "That one was safe." "My forfeit." "What's the price of this forfeit?" "What's the price of this forfeit?" "A song." "Lucky it's your forfeit." "Show him what a nice voice you have." "Sing that song you were humming." "Guest's request." "You're outvoted, skipper." " Suit yourself." " No, listen to your fight." "I can't." "I'm not in the mood." "You won't get your forfeit." "Say no more no more" "Don't look that way Let me go" "We're out of woods And moons and stars" "There's no tenderness in us" "Don't lie anymore don't beg" "You know there's nothing left" "Though life is empty You don't need me" "Joy has faded and our love's gone sour" "I've forgotten the rest." "Stupid song." "I wonder who KO'd Molik?" "What's the price of this forfeit?" "A poem." "How did he get KO'd?" "Night The oil in my lamp is low" "Mosquitoes whine about me" "That handful of stars above" "Are you the white sail on the lake" "Or the waves that lap the shoe?" "Have you strewn my pages with Stardust?" "Excellent memory." "You can turn on the radio." "That's how it's done." "I knew a guy who could beat me." "A genius at the game." "Name of Mayzner." "Had a big boat, 12 metres." "He was good." "A qualified skipper." "Forged his papers, got caught." "Still, he was okay." "He'd say:" "jackstraws isn't just a game." "It's a living organism." " What?" " I didn't say anything." "He's fast asleep." "Must be tired." "He probably slept rough last night." " Why did you take him along?" " He may be shamming." " What time shall I set it for?" " 5 A.M." "I've got a meeting at 9." "I heard you go on deck." "You weren't asleep?" "I'm a light sleeper." "I couldn't sleep either." "It's stuffy." "The rain didn't help any." "When do we get going?" "We cut the halyard." "Got to mend it." "The bilge needs emptying." "Get some sleep." "Shall I bail out?" "Early birds, huh?" "5 A.M., we said." "We're fixing the halyard." "I didn't sleep a wink." "What should I do with this thing?" "Take the helm." "Get the anchor up." "Stow it in the fo'c'sle." "Get down there." "What for?" "Get in the fo'c'sle." "You'll find a box there." "We'll be ashore soon." "Stop acting the skipper." "There's a rag in the box." "Got it?" "That's not all." "The bucket too." " I want that deck swabbed." " Can't I do it?" "Stay at the helm." "Been an instructive trip, huh?" "Nice to make new friends." " Say something nice to him." " Just make for that buoy." "Where's my knife?" "What happened to my knife?" "Easy, nothing gets lost on this boat." "I didn't say it was lost." "Where is it?" "In my pocket." "Why did you take it?" "Think I was scared of you?" "I don't need a knife to handle myself." "I want it back." "Come and get it." "Give me back my knife." "Jump!" "He'll drown!" "He hasn't come up." "Don't worry, he can swim." " He said he..." " He was lying." "Farther to the right!" "To the right!" "There!" "He must be clinging to the buoy." " No sign of him." " Check the other side." "Nothing!" "You've drowned him!" "What was his name?" " He's got to come up." " He couldn't swim." "He didn't even take a dip." " How deep is it here?" " 20-30 feet." "Deeper." "Dive again." "Call the police." "Much good that would do." "See, you admit it!" "You've drowned him!" "Stop yelling!" "Murderer!" "You're scared!" "Lost your nerve." "Tough guy!" "Phoney!" "Clown!" "You only took him along to show off!" "What d'you think you look like?" " Like your wife." " Without me you'd be a whore!" "I hate you!" "Push off, then!" " I'm sick of you!" " Push off yourself!" "You think I'm scared of the police?" "You make me vomit!" "Still showing off." "You'll be back." "So you can swim!" "I didn't hear you." "My teeth were chattering." "Come back!" "Let's try together." "Get yourself a brandy." "Where's my rucksack?" "I'll swim ashore." "I honestly didn't hear." "If I'd known it would come to this, I wouldn't have hidden." "You're just like him only half his age and twice as dumb." "What do you know about life?" "Just cafes, yachts and cars." "Bet you've got a four-room apartment." " I suppose you live 4 students to a room." " 6, actually." "I've been through it myself." "So has he." "You're no better than him." "He was just like you." "And you want to be like him." "And you will be, if you've got the guts." "6 to a room." "You want to sleep, they play cards." "You want to study, they douse the lights." "Canteen lunches, cheap smokes." "Kissing in the alley fingers so cold you can't unbutton her blouse." "Did I leave anything out?" "Parents dead, sister got TB?" "No..." "They're alive?" "Divorced." "Both remarried." "Any brothers or sisters?" "Your parents help you?" "Father does sometimes." "Here." "You'll catch cold." "You're just a child." "I'm sorry." "Don't be silly." "It's Monday." "Will there be any trucks?" "Plenty." "Food trucks." "Monday's the best day." "Ready?" "Fend off?" "Yes." "Aye, aye." "Fend off." "The wipers are gone." "Didn't you hear me calling?" "When?" "I shouted." " Did you go to the police?" " Naked?" "I didn't have the car keys." "You could have smashed a window." " Are we going home?" " No, to the police." "About the wipers?" "Scared?" "No..." " You are." " I'm not." "Aren't you?" "Yes." "Don't go." "It's enough you're scared." "You weren't responsible." "He was behind the buoy." "He dived when I checked." "You were gone when he showed up." "We shouted." "How could I hear anything?" "It's all nonsense." "You're making it up." "You think you can save my neck." "You tell me a pack of lies." "I pretend to believe them then we read in the paper:" ""19-year-old Youth Missing."" "And we'll feel sick." "You're the one who's making it up." "I checked that buoy." "He wasn't there." "He's alive." "So much so, I cheated on you with him." "I'm not scared, you are so much so, you're fantasising." "POLICE STATION 5km" "By the way, you never finished that story." "Why have we stopped?" "I'd like to believe you, but cheat on me with him?" "Bad joke." "Sorry, I won't tell it again." "It was all my fault..." "Why did that seaman jump on broken glass?" "You didn't finish your story." "What is it with you?" "Where are we going?" "He got overconfident." "Did the trick once too often." "He was a stoker." "Hard soles from walking on coke." "Been ashore a year." "His feet had gone soft." "He didn't realise." " Did he ever try it again?" " No idea what became of him."