Venya. Alexey! Why should you have to let the driver go?
Alexey. Look who woke up, an old ladies man.
Pause.
Alexey. Fyodor, is this Sunny Beach far from here?
Fyodor. Its about twenty kilometers as the crow flies. If you and Venya hit the road now, youll get there right in time for dinner. It will make the girls day!
Alexey. Funny as a crutch.
Venya. Treh bi-ahn! Ha-ha-ha.
Alexey. And I am telling you that they will come here tonight!
Venya. You got it!
Fyodor. You are nothing but sexual maniacs.
Alexey. They will leave the ride there and come back by taxi. Natasha promised me.
Venya. Fyodor, do you have a razor? I should scrape my chin.
Fyodor. You are handsome just the way you are, Venya.
Alexey. I once knew a woman. She was a teacher at school. And she loved when I moved my unshaven jaw across her back, between the shoulder blades.
Venya. Boy oh boy!
Fyodor. Ugh spare me the details, gentlemen. [He goes inside.]
Venya. So, Alexey, does it really work with the unshaven jaw?
Alexey. Depends on a girl.
Fyodor comes back with a large bottle of cold beer.
Fyodor. Dear soldiers of the dating front, let me offer you some refreshment. [He pours the beer into the mugs.]
Venya. A cold one!
Fyodor. I wanted to ask you to come hunt with me tomorrow. Shoot a boar maybe. I even took the rifle with me for such an occasion. [The three of them clink their mugs and drink beer.]
Venya. Gosh, its so good! And weve got our own hunt here.
Alexey. Yep! [He does duck lips.] A duck hunt!
Venya. Yes! Yes. We are ducks, decoy ducks.
Venya and Alexey quack, imitate ducks with their walk and movements. Meanwhile, Tatyana approaches the gate, enters Fyodors garden plot, and walks towards the house. The men dont see her.
Tatyana. Hello there!
Venya. Oh! It worked! Hello there!
Alexey. Hello, mysterious stranger.
Fyodor. Tatyana. Im glad you dropped in. May I introduce my friends: Donald Duck and Launchpad McQuack.
Alexey. Alexey and Veniamin. Its a pleasure to meet you.
Venya. Tatyana, enchanté! My friends call me Venya.
Tatyana. Nice to meet you, jolly fellows.
Fyodor. Are you here for a reason?
Venya and Alexey exchange quizzical looks.
Tatyana. Im going grocery shopping in town. Just came by to ask if you need anything.
Tatyana. Im going grocery shopping in town. Just came by to ask if you need anything.
Fyodor. No, I think we are good.
Ignatych enters the garden plot, walks towards the terrace.
Ignatych. Hello, summerfolk! Happy Pentecost Sunday!
Tatyana. Hello, Mikhail Ignatych. Same to you.
Fyodor. Hi, Ignatych. Hows retired life treating you?
Ignatych. Everything is fine, but its not something to envy. Have you heard the news? The word is that they want to raise the retirement age. To sixty-five years old for men. And to the gills for women.
Venya. Codswallop, I say! People dont even live this long.
Alexey. They want to raise it and they will. And we will live a European life.
Ignatych. Uh-huh. A European life. And those who dont make it to retirement will be cremated and continue working inside hourglasses.
Venya steps aside towards the house, paces out the distance from the gazebo to the house, then from the porch to the directional signpost. Fyodor takes the beer bottle and pours the beer into a clean mug.
Fyodor. Help yourself, Ignatych. Fresh and cold.
Ignatych takes the mug and drinks.
Fyodor.[To Tatyana.] I remembered: Buy a loaf of dark rye bread, please, would you?
Tatyana. Alright. Ill get it here tonight.
Ignatych puts the empty mug on the table.
Ignatych. Heres what Ive come to tell you, Fyodor. I went to get some water from the well this morning. And as I was going back, I saw three men standing in the next street. One of them was Ivan Moray. He got out of jail this spring. Another one was someone with a false gold tooth capping. And the third one Ive immediately recognized him: It was Artyom, your stepson.
Fyodor. Artyom? Thats odd.
Alexey. What a surprise!
Ignatych. Im sure it was him. I have a good memory for faces.
Fyodor. He must have got parole.
Tatyana. Fyodor, isnt it dangerous? You told me that Artyom threatened you.
Fyodor. Lets see them try to come here. I have enough bullets for all of them.
Alexey. You cant shoot down all the fools.
Ignatych. Ive deliberately walked past Morays house now. All clear.
Fyodor. Thank you, Ignatych.
Tatyana. Maybe they left?
Ignatych. Maybe they did. Who knows what these junkies are up to. Fyodor, just keep in mind that your stepson is roaming free with some crooks in tow. Take care!
Ignatych leaves.
Scene 4
Twilight. Morays house.
Natalia, Khlora.
Khlora. Im scared, Natasha. I am so scared
Natalia. Khlora, its too late to change your mind.
Khlora. I didnt sign up for murder!
Natalia fetches a slap across Khloras face.
Natalia. Shut up, you fool of a woman. Are you suicidal? Chopper wont just let us go.
Khlora. Chopper, this god damned cop, did schmooze you too. Are you fearing for your daughters life?
Natalia. Ill go to any lengths for the sake of my Svetlana. Any.
Khlora. Oh please, Natasha, let me go. Honest to God, I wont tell anyone!
Natalia. God can hardly help us now.