Why doesn't he get in touch? I feel like I've been here years. (He takes his revolver out of its holster to check the ammunition.) We've never let him down though, have we? We've never let him down. I was thinking only the other day, Ben. We're reliable, aren't we?
He puts his revolver back in its holster.
Still, I'll be glad when it's over tonight.
He brushes his jacket.
I hope the bloke's not going to get excited tonight, or anything. I'm feeling a bit off. I've got a splitting headache.
Silence.
The box descends. BEN jumps up.
GUS collects the note.
(reading.) One Bamboo Shoots, Water Chestnuts and Chicken. One Char Siu and Beansprouts. BEN. Beansprouts?
GUS. Yes.
BEN. Blimey.
GUS. I wouldn't know where to begin.
He looks back at the box. The packet of tea is inside it. He picks it up.
They've sent back the tea.
BEN (anxious). What'd they do that for? GUS. Maybe it isn't tea-time.
The box goes up. Silence.
BEN (throwing the tea on the bed, and speaking urgently). Look here. We'd better tell them. GUS. Tell them what?
BEN. That we can't do it, we haven't got it.
GUS. All right then.
BEN. Lend us your pencil. We'll write a note.
GUS, turning for a pencil, suddenly discovers the speaking-tube, which hangs on the right wall of the
hatch facing his bed.
GUS. What's this?
BEN. What?
GUS. This.
BEN (examining it). This? It's a speaking-tube. GUS. How long has that been there?
BEN. Just the job. We should have used it before, instead of shouting up there. GUS. Funny I never noticed it before.
BEN. Well, come on.
GUS. What do you do?
BEN. See that? That's a whistle. GUS. Yes, take it out. Pull it out.
GUS does so.
That's it.
GUS. What do we do now? BEN. Blow into it.