A rainbow of gender and sexuality, and freedoms unimagined by his generation. Ron is all for it. If you let people be themselves, you let them flourish. But even in these happier times if you offer a man a choice between a motorcycle mug and a flower mug, he’s going to choose the motorcycle mug. Lucky thing too: if Viktor’s tablets could floor the Viking, God knows what they would have done to Joyce.
‘You could have killed him, Joyce,’ says Elizabeth.
‘With sleeping pills and worming tablets? I doubt it,’ says Joyce.
The Viking is beginning to stir. Bogdan has tied him to one of Joyce’s dining-room chairs. After he had fallen asleep, Joyce had called the cavalry, and here they all were.
Bogdan for muscle, Viktor, back from the opera （‘Exquisite. Almost transcendent’） to face the man who wants to kill him, and Elizabeth, who has just had to explain why she hadn’t told Joyce that the Viking was planning to kill her too. Ron and Ibrahim are there, presumably, thinks Ron, because Joyce and Elizabeth would never hear the end of it if they hadn’t been invited.
Pauline is there because, well, because she is there an awful lot these days. Whether in Coopers Chase or Juniper Court, she and Ron like to be together. She’s come straight from work. Bogdan has disappeared somewhere for now.
Viktor is holding the Viking’s gun. Ron had asked to hold it briefly. He had pointed it at the wall, closed one eye, said, ‘Pow,’ and handed it back.
The Viking looks a bit of a mess. Huge beard. Semi-conscious. Ron had tried to grow a beard many years ago, but he was not successful. Some men just can’t grow beards, and you shouldn’t read anything into that. Doesn’t make them any less of a man.
Joyce has made them all a cup of tea, after thoroughly washing out the motorbike mug.
‘Hey, sleeping beauty,’ says Viktor, as the Viking wakes. ‘Hey.’
The Viking opens his eyes, just a touch. Then closes them again, unable to immediately accept what he sees.
‘It’s OK,’ says Viktor. ‘You can open them. You want some water?’
The Viking opens his eyes once again, and tries to focus on Joyce’s carpet. With effort, he raises his head and looks towards Joyce. ‘You drugged me.’
‘I did,’ admits Joyce.
‘You said you wouldn’t,’ says the Viking.
‘Forgive me,’ says Joyce. ‘You were going to kill Viktor. And you’re very imposing.’
‘That is a fine beard,’ says Ibrahim. ‘How do you go about growing a beard such as that? Do you use oils?’
‘Maybe a question for another time, Ibrahim,’ says Viktor.
‘Anyone can grow a beard,’ says Ron.
Viktor gets down on his haunches. Ron remembers a time when he could get down on his haunches. Viktor has been lucky with his knees. ‘What’s your name, Viking?’
‘No one shall ever know my name,’ says the Viking.
‘Well, we’ll see about that,’ says Viktor.
‘No one shall ever speak my name,’ says the Viking, and lets out a roar.
‘Well, someone’s woken up,’ says Joyce. Alan wanders in from the bedroom to investigate the noise.
Ron gives Pauline a reassuring wink. She is sitting forward, enjoying the theatre.
‘Best date ever, Ron,’ she says.
‘Let’s talk about why you want to kill me so much,’ says Viktor. ‘OK?’
‘You will regret this,’ says the Viking. ‘Every one of you will regret this.’