Frolic of His Own (23 page)

I don't even . . . know myself anymore. On that battlefield, when I suddenly knew that the man I saw coming up against me, my opposite
in every way . . . that he was not my enemy, but death, that we were fighting together . . . And since then, now . . . it's like meeting myself down some dark street, waylaid round a corner and thrown to the pavement, and left to fight myself off! Is that why you mistrust me then! Just for being a hero, was it? Yes as my mother said, ‘being a hero in war . . . '

K
ANE

I? But I mistrust it no more than you do yourself, as a boy's idea, seeing the threat come head-on, and you run or you meet it, that's cowardice or . . . ‘soldierly fortitude.' But courage itself, it takes the courage of wisdom to stand trial when we never suspect it.

—Oscar, is . . .

—I said please, Christina! Please don't interrupt, what is it.

—Never mind then. It's just someone down on the lawn with a camera.

—With a, who! Who is it what are they doing!

—Oscar be careful, you'll tip over the whole . . .

—Well find out who it is! Taking pictures of, somebody spying out there they . . .

—Just calm down, my God. Who on earth would want to spy on us.

—That's exactly what I'd like to know. The way Kiester and these people sneak around there's such a thing as invasion of privacy isn't there? Can't that go in the complaint?

—If you haven't filed your complaint yet Oscar they don't even know who you are, so why should Kiester's people want to spy on you.

—I'm not talking to you Christina, will you just go and find out who that is out there? I'm talking to Mister Basie about this complaint.

—Thing is Oscar this is an action for infringement. You get privacy and things like that in there you just confuse things, run a good chance they throw the whole thing out, just stay right with your play there.

—All right then, what about the horses.

—What about the horses.

—The way he just described the horses on the battlefield, how death was still in their eyes, the horror, that was all in the movie wasn't it? the way that review described them in the movie?

—Describing them's one thing, show them right up there on the screen you can't prove they . . .

—You don't expect me to have horses crashing around dying on the stage do you? Because we have the battle, you'll see, it's at the end of the act but it's all effects, light and sound and the . . .

—You ever see Errol Flynn in The Charge of the Light Brigade Oscar? Don't know how many horses got killed making that movie, actually injured and killed so bad they got the laws changed, these Kiester people didn't need to steal from you. Just claim they went to see Errol Flynn in The Charge of the Light Brigade.

—Listen. I did not see Errol Flynn in The Charge of the Light Brigade, no. That's the point, that's exactly what I'm afraid of, people connecting my name with this mindless nonsense if they think I took my play from Errol Flynn in The Charge of the Light Brigade there goes my whole reputation and loss of income as a scholar and a, a playwright, now what about that. What about that.

—Why you'll ask compensatory and triple damages for mental and professional distress.

—Oh. Good. That's what I meant yes, good that's what I, what's she doing out there look, they're coming right up on the veranda who's that woman, Christina? One of you open the window there so I can, Christina! Will you stop him taking pictures? Who are they!

—Maybe we better just clear out Mister Crease.

—Sit down! All of you, just sit down we're not finished, these constant interruptions you lose the whole thread of . . .

—Just go ahead Oscar, it's only this real estate woman getting pictures of the place for their brochure.

—Well stop them! It's just an invitation, people who rob houses that's where they get their ideas get them out of here!

—They're not going to rob the house, they . . .

—Just get rid of them will you? They've already broken the dramatic tension this whole scene depends on the, where are we now . . .

As KANE stares up at THOMAS, whose expression turns to one of perplexity, BAGBY appears upstage right disheveled and hurries down to them.

B
AGBY

Here, the guard took me out for a look at them, getting their heads punched up at shaft seven, and what do you think we found? They'd come to set it afire, if you can believe it, shouting about having their rights, yes, and who do you think we found! Sprung out of the ground, out of the pit itself, blind on destroying, fighting anything just to fight . . . And who do you think we caught up with? The boy that assaulted you that night, in Norwegian Street where your house was burned. The same night that soldier got himself murdered
there, and they know this boy done it. They're bringing him here, as I instructed, the guards are bringing him here for you to identify.

T
HOMAS

For me? I saw no murder.

B
AGBY

No, not for that, for the murder they cannot prove though we know that he done it. To identify him for assault, and you'll see! If he will go trying to make a fool of justice, not owning up to the murder, he may wish that he had!

The YOUNG MAN, haggard, unshorn and dirty, is flung onstage with a final effort by the GUARD and BAGBY.

(CIRCLING THE
YOUNG MAN
WARILY)

Here's your savage, sir. A fine specimen, an't he? One of nature's noblemen, you might say. Do you know him? There, you might not recognize him at a glance. He an't got any prettier, hiding away until he was hunted down to earth . . . here, guard! Stand by here!

BAGBY gets the GUARD between himself and the YOUNG MAN, who stands looking askance at THOMAS; and THOMAS in turn appears to avoid looking too closely at him.

(
TO
THOMAS)

An't he the one that done it, sir? That laid for you that night?

(
TO
KANE)

He was lucky I happened along, you know, or the boy here might have killed him, for that's what he meant to do . . .

(TO THE
YOUNG MAN)

Wasn't it! Like you went on to kill that soldier boy? Speak up, you young ninny! Like you tried to kill your master here?

K
ANE

(UPSET)

What do you want him to say! That he tried to change what he was himself by trying to destroy his master?

B
AGBY

(DISDAINING
KANE,
TO
THOMAS)

Why don't you have a word with him, sir. You might know from his voice . . .

K
ANE

(IN EXASPERATION)

And what do you want them to say! You expect them to sit down and have a chat, do you? when all they share is the . . . terrible silence of slavery?

B
AGBY

(TURNING LOFTILY ON
KANE)

There, that's going too far now. Why, who brought the boy to the mines here but the boy himself? Yes . . .

(TO
THOMAS)

Isn't that true enough, sir?

(TO
KANE,
MOTIONING TO
THOMAS)

Yes, he's said it himself more than once, that they're here by their own consent . . .

T
HOMAS

(IMPATIENTLY)

Let's get all this straightened out quickly, do you hear? I'm leaving, I'm going abroad, to the Continent . . .

B
AGBY

(TAKEN ABACK)

But when, sir?

T
HOMAS

I don't know, as soon as I can.

K
ANE

(STILL APPEARING RELUCTANT)

There's a ship from Philadelphia tomorrow night.

B
AGBY

And you in the militia draft, with U.S. marshals watching every port . . . ?

BAGBY, KANE and then even the GUARD fall back as THOMAS slowly approaches and confronts the YOUNG MAN, staring him full in the face.

T
HOMAS

(TO THE
YOUNG MAN,
AFTER PAUSE, AS THE
YOUNG MAN
STARES HIM BACK)

You . . . know me? Yes . . . your face that night in a flash of flame, in the street, that night of the fire. I know you . . . too well!

Y
OUNG
M
AN

(HALTINGLY, AS
THOMAS
SLOWLY PUTS A HAND TO HIS SHOULDER, LOOKING AT SCAR)

And I gave you that, did I? Well . . . good enough!

B
AGBY

(HURRYING UP TO THEM)

Here now, be careful . . .

T
HOMAS

(GRIPPING THE
YOUNG MAN'S
SHOULDER, PUTTING FACE IN HIS
)

Yes . . . you know me!

(AFTER AN INSTANT'S BINDING PAUSE, STEPS BACK ABRUPTLY ALMOST UPSETTING
BAGBY,
ON WHOM HE TURNS, CALMLY)

He's going up in my place.

B
AGBY

(BEWILDERED, AS
KANE
STANDS APPALLED
)

But . . . him? In your place in the draft, sir? Why . . . why . . .

T
HOMAS

If he's willing.

B
AGBY

If he's willing! Why, why what has he got to be willing about?

(TURNING ON THE
YOUNG MAN
WITH THOROUGH CONTEMPT)

There! Are you willing?

Y
OUNG
M
AN

(STEADILY, TO
THOMAS,
WITH HINT OF SMILE, DRAWS HIMSELF UP)

I am willing.

B
AGBY

(HURRYING TO TRY TO GET COMMAND OF THE SITUATION)

Yes, and why should you not be? If it's that or prison . . .

T
HOMAS

I said no such thing!

K
ANE

(APPROACHING
THOMAS
UNSTEADILY, LAYS A HAND ON HIS ARM)

What . . . you're doing . . .

B
AGBY

(HAVING CALCULATED SHREWDLY AND SWIFTLY, TO
THOMAS)

Yes of course sir, you'll want to do the right thing by him . . .

(HASTILY TAKING OUT A THICK WALLET, EXTRACTING A PACKET OF MONEY WHICH HE COUNTS QUICKLY AS HE SPEAKS AND HANDS IT TO THE
YOUNG MAN)

And I happen to have the fee right on me, is six hundred dollars . . .

T
HOMAS

In gold! Get it from the safe now, do you hear?

B
AGBY

(AGAIN SWIFTLY, SHREWDLY CALCULATING, WITHDRAWING UPSTAGE RIGHT)

As you say sir . . . in gold.

K
ANE

(STILL APPALLED)

Do you know . . . what you're doing?

T
HOMAS

(IMPATIENTLY, SHAKING HIM OFF)

I've told you! And . . . by heaven, what do you want! Now? for me to retreat? With the war, all of it, almost over? And still the chance to straighten things out . . . ?

K
ANE

(IN DISTRACTED HORROR AND CONSTERNATION)

And you still think a battle will end it! Battles, battles, can't you see? They can be fought until not a soldier's left standing, and still no one will win? No, that's what soldiers are for, fighting battles and winning or losing them but . . . no, they are no longer war. War is attrition . . . not of armies, but of people, people, people . . . ! Not wiping out soldiers in battle but . . . wiping out hope in the heart!

B
AGBY

There!

(TURNING ON THE
YOUNG MAN)

He an't much to look at, but you're not doing badly, you know, and times what they are . . . No family, no home, no history to him at all you might say, but he's good with mechanical things . . .

(OFFICIOUSLY APPROACHES THE
YOUNG MAN)

Straighten up! You're not in the pits now!

T
HOMAS

(TO NEITHER OF THEM)

Nothing to fight for at all . . . ?

B
AGBY

And what would he want with something to fight for? with all he's got to fight against? Here now . . .

(TO THE
YOUNG MAN)

Let's see your teeth . . . Not that you'll need them for chewing salt horse, but tearing your cartridges. You've got all your fingers and toes have you? and no rupture?

(STABBING THE
YOUNG MAN
WITH A STRAIGHT HAND IN THE GROIN, AND THE
YOUNG MAN
STARTS TO SURGE AT HIM, THEN RECOVERS WITH THE SAME HALF SMILE AS
BAGBY
STEPS BACK)

T
HOMAS

But . . . his eyes there . . .

B
AGBY

It's nothing, it's something they all get down in the mines. You'll see some of them with their eyes rolling from side to side like a minstrel show. It's from lying on their sides and using the pick, in a narrow seam in the dark. Why, sometimes you'll see them come up from the pits and they'll bang around out here in the sunlight like we might in the dark, or blind . . .

(TO THE
YOUNG MAN)

You watch your eyes when you're examined, or there won't be a penny.

(TAKING UP A SACK FROM THE DESK, TURNING TO
THOMAS)

And you'll want to give him something for expenses now and again, tobacco and the like . . . two dollars a week say. If you sign the order, I'll see to it myself . . .

(HANDS THE SACK TO THE
YOUNG MAN)

Here, and you don't get nothing free, you know. Transportation, clothes, you can pay me and I'll see you're outfitted.