After Freddie disrupts the match with accusations that the Russians are cheating, the Quartet undertake their negotiations. An almost ritual flirtation develops between Florence and Anatoly)
MOLOKOV (to Arbiter)
WE WISH, NO MUST, MAKE OUR DISGUST
FOR THIS ABUSE PERFECTLY CLEAR
WE'RE HERE FOR CHESS - ARE THE US?
IF SO WHY FOUL THE ATMOSPHERE?
FLORENCE
I MUST PROTEST - OUR DELEGATION
HAS A HOST OF VALID POINTS TO RAISE
ARBITER
IT'S NOT JUST BLACK AND WHITE
IF I MAY COIN A PHRASE
AS ANY NEUTRAL WOULD ATTEST
FLORENCE
THOUGH WE CONCEDE
(She now sings to Anatoly)
THE FACT YOUR MASTERS BEND THE RULES IS MAYBE NOT YOUR FAULT
IF THEY WITHDRAW THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSAULT
THEN UNDER PROTEST HE'LL PROCEED.
MOLOKOV
IF YOUR MAN'S SO SWEET
THEN WHY HIS FIGHTING TALK?
IF HE SAYS WE CHEAT
THEN WHY ON EARTH DID HE GO TAKE A WALK?
FLORENCE
I AM NOT SURPRISED HE WANTED FRESHER AIR
ONCE HE REALIZED THERE WAS NO HOPE
OF YOUR GUYS PLAYING FAIR.
FLORENCE/ANATOLY MOLOKOV/ARBITER
HOW SAD IT'S VERY SAD TO SEE
THE ANCIENT AND
TO SEE DISTINGUISHED GAME
THAT USED TO BE
ALL
A MODEL OF DECORUM AND TRANQUILITY
BECOME LIKE ANY OTHER SPORT
A BATTLEGROUND FOR RIVAL IDEOLOGIES
TO SLUG IT OUT WITH GLEE
ANATOLY (attacking)
I WOULD SAY WITH REGARD TO
HIM IT IS HARD TO
DISPEL
EVER GROWING SUSPICIONS
MY OPPOSITION'S
NOT WELL.
FLORENCE (defending)
I WOULD HAVE SAID
YOU'D UNDERSTAND THE STRAIN
AND PRESSURE GETTING WHERE HE'S GOT
OR THAT YOU'D SIMPLY CALL HIM HIGHLY-STRUNG AND NOT
IMPLY THAT HE WAS OFF HIS HEAD.
ANATOLY (flirting)
BUT HOW ON EARTH
CAN SOMEONE HALF AS NICE AND CIVILIZED AS YOU
BE PART OF SUCH A SELF-DESTRUCTIVE POINT OF VIEW
I HOPE HE PAYS YOU WHAT YOU'RE WORTH.
ARBITER (attacking)
I CALL THIS TUNE
NO ONE'S IMMUNE TO MY POWER
ONCE IN THAT HALL.
MOLOKOV (blocking)
IN THAT CASE
I MUST ASK YOU
WHY YOU NOW
PRESIDE OVER A BRAWL?
FLORENCE (to Anatoly)
I'M NOT GETTING RICH
MY ONLY INTEREST
IS IN SOMETHING WHICH
GIVES ME THE CHANCE
OF WORKING WITH THE BEST.
ANATOLY (to Florence)
I CAN ONLY SAY
I HOPE YOUR DREAM COMES TRUE
TILL THAT FAR OFF DAY
I HOPE YOU COPE
WITH HELPING NUMBER TWO.
FLORENCE/ANATOLY MOLOKOV/ARBITER
HOW SAD IT'S VERY SAD TO SEE
THE ANCIENT AND
TO SEE DISTINGUISHED GAME
THAT USED TO BE
ALL
A MODEL OF DECORUM AND TRANQUILITY
BECOME LIKE ANY OTHER SPORT
A BATTLEGROUND FOR RIVAL IDEOLOGIES
TO SLUG IT OUT WITH GLEE.
FLORENCE ARBITER ANATOLY MOLOKOV
IT IS VERY SAD TO IT’S SO SAD TO SAD HOW SAD
SEE SEE A GAME THAT IT IS VERY SAD TO TO SEE
SAD TO SEE A REALLY SHOULD SEE A DIS-
GAME THAT ONCE BE THIS DISTING- TINGUISHED
USED TO GUISHED AND
BE A MODEL LIKE A MODEL OLD GAME THAT GAME THAT
OF DE-
OF CALM AND TRAN- CORUM USED TO, THAT ALWAYS
QUILITY BECOME USED TO BE TRAN- USED TO BE
SAD WHEN IT BE- JUST LIKE ANY QUILITY LIKE A
OTHER
COMES LIKE SPORT A BATTLE- HAS BECOME MODEL
ANY GROUND FOR
OTHER SPORT RIVAL IDE- BATTLEGROUND TO OF DE-
JUST OLOGIES SLUG IT OUT CORUM
A BATTLE- TO SLUG WITH GLEE
GROUND, A BATTLE- SLUG IT OUT ANY OTHER SPORT AND OF
GROUND, FOR IDE- SLUG IT OUT LIKE A BATTLE- PURE TRAN-
GROUND
OLOGIES IT IS VERY SAD TO SEE QUILITY
IT’S VERY SAD SAD SO SAD HOW IT IS VERY
TO SEE THE TO SEE SAD SAD TO SEE
THE
ANCIENT AND DIS- OLD DISTIN-
TINGUISHED IT’S A GUISHED
GAME THAT GAME THAT
USED TO BE A BATTLEGROUND FOR SEE A USED TO BE A
MODEL OF DECORUM RIVAL IDE- MODEL OF DECORUM MODELOF TRAN-
AND TRANQUIL- OLOGIES AND TRANQUIL- QUILITY
ITY BE- ITY BE
COMES LIKE ANY IT BECOMES JUST LIKE ANY WHEN IT BE-
OTHER A OTHER
SPORT BATTLEGROUND FOR SPORT HOW SAD COMES ABATTLE
LIKE A IDEOLOGIES TO SEE GROUND THENIT
BATTLEGROUND A BATTLE- HOW THE GAME IS VE-
FOR RIVAL GROUND THAT RY
IDEOLOGIES IT’S VERY SAD USED TO BE SAD,IT’S VERY
SAD
IT’S VERY SAD TO SEE A GAME TRANWUILITY WHEN THIS
ANCIENT GAME
BE-
SO SAD TO SEE A BATTLEGROUND A BATTLEGROUND COMES A
BATTLEGROUND
ALL
TO SLUG IT OUT WITH GLEE
ARBITER
This crisis is the fault of both parties. If both players are not back at the board within 36 hours, the match will be cancelled and the title put into abeyance!
ISN'T IT STRANGE THE COMPLICATIONS
PEOPLE CREATE IN SITUATIONS
WHEN THERE'S NO NEED FOR ANY KIND OF
IMBROGLIO
BUT IN THE END THEY ALL SEE REASON
I DIDN'T WANT TO PUT THE SQUEEZE ON
BUT THERE ARE TIMES WHEN SOMEONE FORCEFUL
HAS TO SAY NO
They all think they’re part of some sophisticated international battle of wills and personality
I SEE NOTHING OTHER THAN A SIMPLE BOARD GAME...
