Comparing what we're looking for misses the point. It's wanting to know that makes us matter. Otherwise we're going out the way we came in. That's why you can't believe in the afterlife, Valentine. Believe in the after, by all means, but not the life. Believe in God, the soul, the spirit, the infinite, believe in angels if you like, but not in the great celestial get-together for an exchange of views. If the answers are in the back of the book I can wait, but what a drag. Better to struggle on knowing that failure is final. [She looks over VALENTINE'S shoulder at the computer screen. Reacting.] Oh!, but . . . how beautiful!
VALENTINE The Coverly set.1 HANNAH The Coverly set! My goodness, Valentine! VALENTINE Lend me a finger.
[He takes her finger and presses one of the computer keys several times.]
9. The 'complex numbers' of mathematics laid 1. Graphic patterns of changes in Sidley Park's out in a two- dimensional plane. grouse population.
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ARCADIA II.7 / 2805
See? In an ocean of ashes, islands of order. Patterns making themselves out of nothing. I can't show you how deep it goes. Each picture is a detail of the previous
one, blown up. And so on. For ever. Pretty nice, eh? HANNAH Is it important? VALENTINE Interesting. Publishable. HANNAH Well done! VALENTINE Not me. It's Thomasina's. I just pushed her equations through
the computer a few million times further than she managed to do with her pencil.
[From the old portfolio he takes Thomasina 's lesson hook and gives it to HANNAH. The piano starts to he heard.]
You can have it back now. HANNAH What does it mean? VALENTINE Not what you'd like it to. HANNAH Why not? VALENTINE Well, for one thing, she'd be famous. HANNAH No, she wouldn't. She was dead before she had time to be
famous . . . VALENTINE She died? HANNAH . . . burned to death. VALENTINE [Realizing.] Oh . . . the girl who died in the fire! HANNAH The night before her seventeenth birthday. You can see where the
dormer2 doesn't match. That was her bedroom under the roof. There's a memorial in the Park.
VALENTINE [Irritated.] I know?it's my house. [VALENTINE turns his attention hack to his computer, HANNAH goes back to her chair. She looks through the lesson book.]
HANNAH Val, Septimus was her tutor?he and Thomasina would have? VALENTINE You do yours. [Pawse. Two researchers.
LORD AUGUSTUS, fifteen years old, wearing clothes of 1812, bursts in through the non?music room door. He is laughing. He dives under the table. He is chased into the room by THOMASINA, aged sixteen and furious. She spots AUGUSTUS immediately.]
THOMASINA YOU swore! You crossed your heart! [AUGUSTUS scampers out from under the table and THOMASINA chases him around it.]
AUGUSTUS I'll tell mama! I'll tell mama!
THOMASINA YOU beast! [She catches AUGUSTUS as SEPTIMUS enters from the other door, carrying a book, a decanter3 and a glass, and his portfolio.]
SEPTIMUS Hush! What is this? My lord! Order, order! [THOMASINA and AUGUSTUS separate.] I am obliged.4
2. Vertical window that projects from a sloping is served, roof. 4. Thank you. 3. Glass bottle (with a stopper) from which wine
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280 6 / TOM STOPPARD
[SEPTIMUS goes to his place at the table. He pours himself a glass of wine.]
AUGUSTUS Well, good day to you, Mr Hodge!
[He is smirking about something. THOMASINA dutifully picks up a drawing book and settles down to draw the geometrical solids. SEPTIMUS opens his portfolio.]
SEPTIMUS Will you join us this morning, Lord Augustus? We have our drawing lesson. AUGUSTUS I am a master of it at Eton, Mr Hodge, but we only draw naked
women. SEPTIMUS You may work from memory. THOMASINA Disgusting! SEPTIMUS We will have silence now, if you please.
[From the portfolio SEPTIMUS takes Thomasina's lesson book and tosses it to her; returning homework. She snatches it and opens it.]
THOMASINA No marks?! Did you not like my rabbit equation? SEPTIMUS I saw no resemblance to a rabbit. THOMASINA It eats its own progeny.5 SEPTIMUS [Pause.] I did not see that.
[He extends his hand for the lesson book. She returns it to him.]
THOMASINA I have not room to extend it. [SEPTIMUS and HANNAH turn the pages doubled by time. AUGUSTUS indolently starts to draw the models.]
HANNAH Do you mean the world is saved after all? VALENTINE No, it's still doomed. But if this is how it started, perhaps it's how
the next one will come. HANNAH From good English algebra? SEPTIMUS It will go to infinity or zero, or nonsense. THOMASINA NO, if you set apart the minus roots they square back to sense.
[SEPTIMUS turns the pages. THOMASINA starts drawing the models.
