The accompanying faint reprise of the noise at Blackgang Chine grows. Turgenev and the Doctor stay looking out to sea.

  MARCH 1861

  Garden. Tata is drawing. Offstage, Liza, aged two, starts bawling. Tata looks round and sighs impatiently. The Nurse enters hurriedly.

  TATA She's in the nettles.

  NURSE You were supposed to be watching.

  TATA I was.

  The Nurse goes to rescue Liza. Ogarev enters excitedly with newspapers. Tata is pleased to see him.

  TATA (cont.) (to Ogarev) Papa went to send you a telegram.

  OGAREV It was even in our little newspaper, can you imagine!

  TATA Is it nice living in Putney?

  Ernest Jones, the English Chartist, enters from the house.

  JONES I say!—I say!—Ogarev!—Emancipation! Jones offers his hand. Ogarev shakes it, then embraces him.

  JONES (cont.) Oh, I say!

  Blanc, with a bottle of champagne, comes from the house.

  BLANC Ogarev! Felicitations! Where's Herzen?

  JONES (to Tata) How proud you must be. The Tsar has justified all the hopes your father had in him.

  Herzen hurries in from the side. Natalie, with a bouquet, comes from the house. Blanc presents the bottle to Herzen.

  HERZEN We’ll give a party for every Russian in London.

  NATALIE Look what came—from Mazzini!

  Herzen and Ogarev embrace. The other men applaud them. Herzen runs to Natalie and swings her off her feet.

  HERZEN We won!

  Herzen pops the champagne cork. Everyone piles back into the house, followed now by the Nurse, who is carrying Liza, as it were, and rubbing her face with a handful of dockleaves.

  Then it's night with a moon.

  DECEMBER 1861

  Indoors, with indications of Christmas. Herzen is pacing, with a month-old infant crying lustily in his arms, while Natalie breast-feeds its twin. Ogarev is at a table with paperwork. Natalie's chair or couch is draped in a large red banner used as a throw. Herzen manages to pacify the crying baby somewhat.

  HERZEN We got carried away. Or I did.

  NATALIE Everybody did. It wasn't your fault. The Emancipation was managed in a Russian way. Nothing is explained. Freedom was thrown to the serfs like a bone to a pack of dogs coming after you … and written in legal gobbledegook even the village readers couldn't make out, so what can you expect? The peasants are told they're free, and they think the land they've worked now belongs to them, even the big house belongs to them, and the livestock and probably Madame's Paris frocks, too—so when it turns out nothing belongs to them and they have to pay rent for their plots, well, obviously freedom bears an uncanny resemblance to serfdom.

  HERZEN Chernyshevsky must be laughing into his whiskers. Riots on over a thousand estates … hundreds killed …

  The baby starts crying.

  HERZEN (cont.) The celebration baked meats did furnish forth the funeral tables. How many guests did we invite?

  NATALIE Hundreds.

  HERZEN And an orchestra, and seven thousand gas jets to light up the house …

  NATALIE And my poor banner, look …

  HERZEN (exasperated, to Ogarev) You take him, her, I can't …

  OGAREV (taking the baby) Circulation's down. There's less material coming in, too. We can't sell the paper if we can't fill it …

  There is a disturbance outside in the hall, a loud voice calling for Herzen.

  HERZEN It's Bakunin!

  Bakunin bursts in—a huge and hirsute force, an emperor tramp—followed by the Parlourmaid.

  HERZEN (cont.) You got here!

  BAKUNIN What's this? It's time to get to work!

  Natalie squeals in modest confusion.

  BAKUNIN (cont.) Madame! Michael Bakunin! (He grabs her hand to kiss it, stooping over her.) There is no more lovely sight than a baby at the breast. (He grabs Ogarev's hand and shakes it.) Ogarev. Congratulations! Boys or girls?

  OGAREV Who knows?

  NATALIE One of each.

  OGAREV It's truly amazing to see you. Your escape has made you famous.

  HERZEN You're fat!

  OGAREV Tell us everything! How did you … ?

  NATALIE Wait, wait, don't start without me! (She hands her baby to the Parlourmaid and takes the baby from Ogarev.)

  BAKUNIN Nothing to it—American ship—Japan—San Francisco—Panama—New York. Thanks for sending the money—landed at Liverpool this morning. Can you get oysters here?

  HERZEN Oysters? Of course. Send out for four dozen oysters.

  Natalie and the Parlourmaid leave with the babies.

  BAKUNIN Why, aren't you having any? By the way, can you lend me the money to pay the cab? I'm down to my last …

  HERZEN (laughs) Come on. I'll see to it.

  BAKUNIN All for one and one for all. We're going to do great things together with the Bell

  Herzen and Ogarev exchange glances.

  BAKUNIN (cont.) Where's the next revolution? What about the Slavs?

  HERZEN All quiet.

  BAKUNIN Italy, then?

  HERZEN Quiet.

  BAKUNIN Germany? Turkey?

  HERZEN Everywhere's quiet.

  BAKUNIN Good Christ, it's lucky I'm back …

  Herzen and Bakunin leave. Ogarev remains. He notices the red banner on the couch, and spreads it out. The word ‘Freedom’ in Russian is embroidered on it. Ogarev shakes out the banner like a blanket.

  JUNE 1862

  Simultaneously there is a hubbub. The area round the table is crowded. Bakunin is at the centre of the activity.

  From Herzen's memoirs: ‘Heaps of tobacco lay on his table like stores of forage, cigar ash covered his papers, together with half-finished glasses of tea … Clouds of smoke hung about the room from a regular suite of smokers who smoked as if they were in a smoking race, hurriedly blowing it out and drawing it in as only Russians and Slavs do smoke. Many a time I enjoyed the amazement, accompanied by a certain horror and perplexity, of the landlady's servant when at dead of night she brought boiling water and a fifth basin of sugar into this hotbed of Slav emancipation … He argued, lectured, made arrangements, shouted, decided, directed, organised and encouraged all day and all night long … In the brief minutes he had free, he rushed to his writing-table, cleared a little space from cigarette ash, and set to work to write five, ten, fifteen letters to Belgrade and Constantinople, to Bessarabia, Moldavia and White Russia. In the middle of a letter he would fling aside the pen and bring up to date the outmoded opinion of some Dalmatian, snatch up his pen and go on writing in an everlasting sweat …’ This version of shadowy gesticulating smokers, around the pool of Bakunin's light, has a barely comprehensible sound track. Bakunin's words are italicised.

  VOICES (overlapped) … You can deliver this one to Buda, it's hardly out of your way. When you get to Zagreb, Romic will be at the hotel under the name of Jellinek … We have ten thousand patriots waiting for the signal.—I knew him in Paris. He's not to be trusted.—They need fifty pounds immediately—Half the garrison is with us.—No, the committee must keep their identity a secret from each other until the time is ripe.—Thank you, you're an angel, and another bowl of sugar!—And what then? No, you're wrong. Moldavia is quiet apart from one man I can trust.—And this to the caucasus. Establish a network and report back to me in the code we agreed—wait, I want to add something.—Can we trust him?—Trust me. I'm not behaving like a dictator. Who else can be trusted? Yes, I trust you, but you have to trust me.—The question of boundaries can be settled later. The national question can wait, the social question is the basis of the coming revolution. Yes, I hate the Hungarians, too, but Austria is the enemy. The Czechs agree with us.—My article, did you read it?—Five thousand copies distributed in secret.—That's nonsense! First revolution, then federation. Quiet—quiet!—what's that noise?

  As things quieten, a baby is heard screaming.

  BAKUNIN It's all right, it's only the twins. What time is it? Sssh!

  The scene reconstitutes itself as a social gathering in which the Slav conspirators continue much as before, with Herzen at the table adding a few lines to a letter, while a guest, PAVEL VETOSHNIKOV, stands by to receive it. Bakunin is now concentrating on a Russian officer, KORF, whom he leads to Herzen. Korf is young, shy, speechless, in mufti. Natalie brings a glass of cloudy medicine to Turgenev, who is in conversation with a young man, SEMLOV. Tata plucks at Natalie for attention. At the same time, Ogarev, replacing the banner over the couch, sees that he is being observed by a guest, PEROTKIN, who has a glass of wine and a cigar.

  PEROTKIN What is that? A banner?

  OGAREV Yes.

  PEROTKIN What does it say?

  OGAREV ‘Freedom.’ My wife made it.

  PEROTKIN Sounds a bit desperate. (Laughing, he introduces himself.) Perotkin.

  Ogarev acknowledges Perotkin but excuses himself and finds a place where he can write. He continues to write, in a notebook. He writes, first, the pages which end up in an envelope in Vetoshnikov's pocket—Herzen having added his postscript; and, also, the page from which he is to read aloud to the company later.

  TURGENEV (to Semlov) It's quite simple, I called him Bazarov because Bazarov was his name.

  NATALIE (arriving) There you are … (She gives Turgenev the medicine.)

  TATA (to Natalie) Did you ask Papa?

  BAKUNIN (to Herzen) Lieutenant Korf has to leave for Wallachia, it's desperately urgent.

  HERZEN (writing) One moment.

  TURGENEV (swallowing the medicine) Ugh … thank you.

  TATA (to Natalie) If he won't, I'll kill myself.

  SEMLOV (examining the pillbox) Hang on, it's a suppository …

  NATALIE (to Tata) I can't ask him now—go up. I'll come and see you.

  Tata leaves.

  HERZEN (to Bakunin) Twenty pounds for the Lieutenant?

  BAKUNIN For the cause. He's a splendid fellow. It would be a sin to let the chance slip.

  Perotkin joins Turgenev as Semlov departs laughing.

  SEMLOV (to a guest) Did you hear? Turgenev …

  HERZEN (to Bakunin) No, leave him be.

  TURGENEV Who was that fool?

  PEROTKIN He's a friend of Bakunin. I trust him completely … Perotkin—I'm a friend of Bakunin. I read your book. I wish I could say …

  TURGENEV You don't have to.

  HERZEN (to Korf, shaking hands) Come to lunch on Sunday. Enjoy yourself—go to the International Exhibition …

  Herzen seals the letter and gives it to Vetoshnikov. Bakunin leads Korf away, reassuring him.

  BAKUNIN Leave it to me.

  TURGENEV (to Perotkin) Some people liked it … elderly generals who thanked me for exposing the criminal boneheadedness of the nihilists … and one or two young critics who expressed their gratitude for my sympathy with Bazarov's fearless honesty and intelligence … but in general I'm being called a traitor by both the left and the right, on the one hand for my malicious travesty of radical youth, and on the other hand for sucking up to it.

  PEROTKIN And what was your attitude really?

  TURGENEV My attitude?

  PEROTKIN Yes, your purpose?

  TURGENEV My purpose? My purpose was to write a novel.

  PEROTKIN So you don't take sides between the fathers and the children?

  TURGENEV On the contrary, I take every possible side.

  Bakunin draws Turgenev aside.

  TURGENEV (cont.) Who is that fool?

  BAKUNIN I don't know.

  TURGENEV But you brought him, he's a friend of yours.

  BAKUNIN Oh, yes. He's one of us. Listen, this is the last thing I'll ever ask of you …

  TURGENEV Before you go on, I've already given you fifteen hundred francs. You could make twenty or thirty thousand francs by writing the story of your escape …

  BAKUNIN It's beneath me to write for money.

  Perotkin joins a group who by now have interrupted Herzen several times to shake his hand. Among them is SLEPTSOV, a young man.

  SLEPTSOV (to Herzen) I can't believe I'm talking to you. It was the Bell which called us into existence—thousands of us! … and gave us our name. ‘The people want two things,’ you wrote, ‘land and liberty!’

  HERZEN (shaking hands) That was Ogarev … Thank you …

  SLEPTSOV Let them know the Bell is with us!

  Sleptsov leaves. Vetoshnikov is almost the last of the visitors to leave. Herzen shakes his hand.

  SLEPTSOV (cont.) Thank you, Vetoshnikov. Have you got everything safe?

  VETOSHNIKOV Yes.

  PEROTKIN ( arriving, to Vetoshnikov) Vetoshnikov, should we look for a cab together?

  VETOSHNIKOV No, I want to walk.

  PEROTKIN Of course. Good night, (to Herzen) Thank you again. Where would we all be without your hospitality?

  HERZEN Come to lunch on Sunday. It's open house.

  PEROTKIN I will. (Perotkin leaves with the stragglers.)

  OGAREV (to Vetoshnikov) If you can make a few copies, Vetoshnikov, when you get to St Petersburg …

  VETOSHNIKOV (patting his pocket) Don't worry.

  HERZEN (to Ogarev) I added a few lines for Chernyshevsky, to tell him if the Contemporary is shut down, we'll print it in London.

  Vetoshnikov leaves. There is now only a residual group of intimates—Herzen, Natalie, Ogarev, Bakunin and Turgenev. Ogarev tears a page from his notebook and joins the others.

  NATALIE (to Turgenev) I put a warming pan in your bed.

  OGAREV How long are you here for this time?

  TURGENEV A week. I'm buying a dog.

  NATALIE A bulldog?

  TURGENEV No, a gundog.

  OGAREV Won't it have to know Russian?

  BAKUNIN (to Ogarev) Read it out.

  Ogarev reads from his notebook.

  OGAREV ‘Land and Liberty! The words have a familiar sound. Land and Liberty was the theme of our every article. Land and Liberty was blazoned on every sheet that was issued by our London Press. We greet you, brothers, on the common path …’

  BAKUNIN Good! We should take over the direction of the whole network in Russia!

  HERZEN Oh, it's we. So you've realised your Slavs couldn't row a boat together, never mind overthrow the Austrian Empire, and now Land and Liberty is your new enthusiasm until you meet someone who tells you the man in the moon has a network, too, and a better one. The Bell has moved Russia—helped to—forward painfully for six years, and these children invite us to be their London office!

  BAKUNIN I'm truly disgusted with you. We can't sit forever with our arms folded while these thousands of brave young men—

  HERZEN You really are a big Liza! (to Ogarev) You didn't believe that, did you?

  OGAREV (uncomfortably) It's a question of giving a helping hand. If they were strong, they wouldn't need us.

  HERZEN No, it's a question of what they believe in, and what we don't believe in—a secret revolutionary elite.

  TURGENEV Quite right.

  HERZEN What's it got to do with you?

  TURGENEV I'm agreeing with you.

  HERZEN You agree with everyone a little.

  TURGENEV Well, up to a point.

  HERZEN (to Ogarev) We'd be putting our names to exactly what we told Chernyshevsky we wouldn't support—agitation for violent revolution.

  OGAREV We're all on the side of the people, aren't we?

  HERZEN They look on the people as lumps of clay and themselves as the sculptors. We have more to learn than to teach. The people will make their own Russia. But we have to be patient. Why should we have to put the Bell's reputation on a fledgling which will die in the nest?

  OGAREV Because we do. I don't care if Land and Liberty is only twelve people. They occupy the only ground not occupied by the government and its supporters.

  BAKUNIN Well, it's two against one.

  HERZEN (snaps) You haven't got a vote, and I haven't used mine.

  NATALIE (to Herzen) Nick's right. You're not wrong, but Nick's right.

  TURGENEV You see? … At home we had an English clock with a little brass lever that said, (accented) ‘Strike—Silent’ … It was the first English I knew … ‘Strike—Silent.’ You had to choose. Even then I thought it was unreasonable … Someone has a headache, someone has an appointment …

  HERZEN Oh, shut up about your clock! (to Ogarev) Well … print it, then!

  BAKUNIN (joyfully) You won't regret it!

  HERZEN (exasperated, affectionate) Oh Michael! I shouldn't be impatient with you. You incubate the germ of a colossal activity for which there is no demand, but when I remember you in Paris … and your entire worldly goods were a trunk, a folding bed and a tin basin …

  BAKUNIN Great days.

  The Maid enters with glasses of tea.

  TURGENEV (to the Maid) ‘Tea! Thank you so much!’ … You know, the Viardot's butler left them. He said they weren't gentlefolk, because Viardot spoke to him at dinner.

  BAKUNIN I'm afraid my establishment is complete. (to Herzen) What did you think of Korf? He's a real catch for us, an officer. I'm sending him to Wallachia, and then he'll look round in the Caucasus.

  HERZEN To Wallachia, and a look round in the Caucasus …

  BAKUNIN It's not amusing.

  HERZEN You've come across a shy young man who wants to prove his devotion by doing anything you tell him. He came to London to see the International Exhibition in Kensington, and you want him to go to Wallachia. What for? You know you don't want anything in Wallachia.