THE APPLICANT: But there’s no queue. THE GUARD: You’re the queue. THE APPLICANT: I’m only one man in the queue, if I break the queue, there’s no one here to raise an objection. THE GUARD: I’ll object to it. Do you think I’m no one? THE APPLICANT: I’m hungry. THE GUARD: what should I do? THE APPLICANT: Permit me to go and buy myself something to eat. THE GUARD: You can’t leave the line. THE APPLICANT: Then you fetch me something to eat. THE GUARD: I’m only a guard, I can’t abandon my duty. THE APPLICANT: Please get me something to eat, or I’ll die. THE GUARD: Death does not come so easily. THE APPLICANT: I’m hungry. THE GUARD: Stop thinking about hunger and soon hunger will not disturb you.
SCENE II
The sun is high up in the sky but the window stands closed. The guard strides away from the building to urinate. He returns to the applicant and thunders at him. THE GUARD: Applicant! Stand on the line. THE APPLICANT: I’m standing on the line. THE GUARD: Your right boot is a little off the yellow line. Half an inch, I guess. THE APPLICANT: Does it matter? THE GUARD: Yes, a lot. THE APPLICANT: Half an inch’s measurement matters? THE GUARD: Why not, accidents happen within half an inch’s measurement. Half an inch can save you from a sure death; half an inch can kill you. Accidents happen due to the wrong measurements. THE APPLICANT: No, accidents happen due to the wrong food people eat. THE GUARD: A rule is rule. No rule is small or big, a rule is important and thus respectable. THE APPLICANT: Even a defunct one? THE GUARD: Yes, even a defunct rule is respectable. I sentence you to ponder about the importance of rule for one hour while I will sit on the bench and smoke a cigarette. And remember don’t budge an inch from the line