The Early Ayn Rand (53 page)

ADRIENNE: I’ll stay, Bill. Let’s open the doors and turn out the light, we’ll see better. [
She turns the light off, while
FLASH
throws the French doors open
]

BILLY: Why does Tony always play such sad things?

ADRIENNE: Because he’s very unhappy, Bill.

FLASH: You know, I can’t figure it out. Nobody’s happy in this house.

BILLY: Father is happy. [
A magnificent rocket rises over the lake, much closer than the ones we’ve seen, and bursts into showers of stars
]

FLASH: There it goes!

BILLY: Oh! . . . [
The rockets continue at slow intervals
]

FLASH: [
Excitedly, between the sounds of the explosions
] You see, Billy . . . you see . . . that’s your father’s new invention! . . . It works! . . . Those rockets are set off without any wires . . . without touching them . . . just like that, through space. . . . Imagine? Just some sort of tiny little rays blasting those things to pieces!

ADRIENNE: Lovely precision . . . right on target. . . . What if one chose a larger . . . [
Then, suddenly, she gasps; it is almost a stifled scream
]

FLASH: What’s the matter?

ADRIENNE: [
In a strange voice
] I . . . just thought of something. . . . [
She is suddenly panicky, as she makes a movement to rush out, stops helplessly before the vast darkness of the garden, whirls around to ask:
] Where’s Walter? Where did he go?

FLASH: I don’t know. We’re not supposed to follow him.

ADRIENNE: Where’s Steve?

FLASH: Don’t know. I think he went out.

ADRIENNE: [
Screaming into the garden
] Steve! . . . Steve! . . .

FLASH: He won’t hear you. This place is so big, there’s miles and miles to the grounds, you can’t find anybody out there at night.

ADRIENNE: I’ve got to—

BILLY: Look, Miss Knowland!
Look!

ADRIENNE: I’ve got to find Walter!

FLASH: Miss Knowland! Don’t! Mr. Breckenridge will be angry!

BILLY: It will start again in a minute.

FLASH: Maybe the old-fashioned way is best. [
They wait. Nothing happens
] Say, Bill. What’s the matter with everybody in this house?

BILLY: Nothing.

FLASH: I can’t figure it out. You’re the nicest people I ever lived with. But there’s something wrong. Very wrong.

BILLY: Skip it, Flash.

FLASH: Now take you, for instance. That operation. You wanted it pretty badly?

BILLY: I guess maybe I did. . . . I don’t know . . . I don’t know how it really feels to want things. I’ve been trying to learn not to.

FLASH: Bill, what do you want most in the world?

BILLY: I? . . . [
Thinks for a moment, then:
] I guess . . . I guess to get a glass of water.

FLASH:
What?
Want me to get you a drink?

BILLY: No. You don’t understand. To get a glass of water—
myself.
[FLASH
stares at him
] You see what I mean? To get thirsty and not to have to tell anybody about it, but to walk down to the kitchen, and turn the faucet, and fill a glass, and drink it. Not to need anybody, not to thank anybody, not to ask for it. To
get
it. Flash. You don’t know how important it is—not to need anybody.

FLASH: But people
want
to help you.

BILLY: Flash, when it’s—everything, all the time, everything I do . . . I can’t be thirsty—alone, without telling somebody. I can’t be hungry—alone. I’m not a person. I’m only something being helped. . . . If I could stand up just once—stand up on my own feet and tell them all to go to hell! Oh, Flash, I wouldn’t tell them to! But just to know that I could! Just once!

FLASH: Well, what for, if you wouldn’t? You don’t make sense. People are very kind to you and—[
There is the sound of a distant explosion in the garden
] There! There it goes again! [
Looks out. There is nothing but darkness
] No. Guess it was a dud.

BILLY: They’re kind to me. It’s such a horrible thing—that sort of kindness. Sometimes I want to be nasty just to have somebody snap at me. But they won’t. They don’t respect me enough to get angry. I’m not important enough to resent. I’m only something to be kind to.

FLASH:
Listen,
how about that glass of water? Do you want me to get it or don’t you?

BILLY: [
His head dropping, his voice dull
] Yes. Get me a glass of water.

FLASH: Look, water’s not good for you. How about my fixing you some nice hot chocolate and a little toast?

BILLY: Yes.

FLASH: That’s what I said: nobody ate anything tonight. All that grand dinner going to waste. It’s a crazy house. [
Turns at the door
] Want the light on?

BILLY: No. [FLASH
exits Right.
BILLY
sits alone for a moment, without moving, his head down.
INGALLS
enters from the garden
]

INGALLS: Hello, Bill. What are you doing here alone in the dark? [
Switches the light on
] The fireworks over?

BILLY: Something went wrong. They stopped.

INGALLS: Oh? Where’s Walter?

BILLY: Fixing it, I guess. He hasn’t come back. [
As
INGALLS
turns to the stairs
] Steve.

INGALLS: Yes?

BILLY: Steve, do you know why I like you? . . . Because you’ve never been kind to me.

INGALLS: But I want to be kind to you, kid.

BILLY: That’s not what I mean. You couldn’t be what . . . what I’m talking about. I mean, people who use kindness like some sort of weapon. . . . Steve! It’s a horrible weapon. I think it’s worse than poison gas. It gets in deeper, it hurts more, and there’s no gas mask to wear against it. Because people would say you’re wicked to want such a mask.

INGALLS: Bill. Listen to me. It doesn’t matter. Even your legs and the wheelchair—it doesn’t matter, so long as you don’t let anyone into your mind. Keep your mind, Bill—keep it free and keep it your own. Don’t let anyone help you—inside. Don’t let anyone tell you what you must think. Don’t let anyone tell you what you must feel. Don’t ever let them put your soul in a wheelchair. Then you’ll be all right, no matter what they do.

BILLY: You understand. Steve, you’re the only one who understands. [FLASH
enters Right
]

FLASH: Come on, Bill. The grub’s ready. Do you want it here?

BILLY: I’m not hungry. Take me to my room, please. I’m tired.

FLASH: Aw, hell! After I went to all the bother—

BILLY: Please, Flash. [FLASH
starts wheeling the chair out
] Good night, Steve.

INGALLS: Good night, kid. [FLASH
and
BILLY
exit, and we hear
TONY
’s voice in the next room
]

TONY’S VOICE: Going, Billy? Good night.

BILLY’S VOICE: Good night. [TONY
enters Right
]

TONY: What about the great fireworks? All over?

INGALLS: I guess so. Billy said something went wrong.

TONY: You didn’t watch them?

INGALLS: No.

TONY: I didn’t either.

INGALLS: Helen? Where are you going?

HELEN: Back to town.

TONY:
Now?

HELEN: Yes.

INGALLS: But, Helen—

HELEN: Please don’t ask me any questions. I didn’t know that someone would still be here. I wanted to . . . I wanted not to have to talk to anyone.

INGALLS: But what’s happened?

HELEN: Later, Steve. Later. I’ll talk to you afterward. Tomorrow, in town, if you wish. I’ll explain. Please don’t—

INGALLS: Where’s Adrienne?

HELEN: I don’t know. She—

FLASH: What was that?

HELEN: I . . . don’t . . . know. . . .

FLASH: Miss Knowland! It’s Miss Knowland! [CURTISS
enters Right
]

CURTISS: Madam! What happened!

INGALLS: All right. Take it easy. Now what is it?

ADRIENNE: It’s Walter . . . out there . . . in the garden. . . . He’s dead. [
Silence, as they all look at her
] It was dark . . . I couldn’t see. . . . He was lying on his face. . . . And then I ran. . . . I think he’s shot. . . . [HELEN
gasps and sinks into a chair
]

INGALLS: Did you touch anything?

ADRIENNE: No . . . no. . . .

INGALLS: Curtiss.

CURTISS: Yes, sir?

INGALLS: Go down there. Stand by. Don’t touch anything. And don’t let anyone near.

CURTISS: Yes, sir.

ADRIENNE: [
Pointing
] There . . . to the left . . . down the path. . . . [CURTISS
exits into the garden
]

INGALLS: Tony, take Helen to her room. Flash, go to Billy. Don’t tell him. Put him to bed.

FLASH: Y-yes, sir.

ADRIENNE: Steve! What are you doing?

INGALLS: [
Into phone
] Operator? . . .

ADRIENNE: Steve! Wait!

INGALLS: [
Into phone
] Give me District Attorney Hastings.

ADRIENNE: No! . . . Wait! . . . Steve, I—

INGALLS: [
Into phone
] Hello, Greg? Steve Ingalls speaking. From the house of Walter Breckenridge. Mr. Breckenridge has been—[ADRIENNE
seizes his arm. He pushes her aside, not violently, but firmly
]—murdered. . . . Yes. . . . Yes, I shall. . . . Yes, the new house. . . . [
Hangs up
]

ADRIENNE: Steve . . . you wouldn’t let me tell you . . .

INGALLS: Well? What is it?

ADRIENNE: [
Pulls a man’s handkerchief from her pocket and hands it to him
] This. [
He looks at the initials on the handkerchief
] It’s yours.

INGALLS: Yes.

ADRIENNE: It was caught on a branch—there—near the . . . body.

INGALLS: [
Looks at the handkerchief, then at her
] It’s good evidence, Adrienne. [
Slips the handkerchief calmly into his pocket
] It’s evidence that you still love me—in spite of everything—in spite of what happened this afternoon.

ADRIENNE: [
Stiffening
] Merely circumstantial evidence.

INGALLS: Oh, yes. But one can do a lot with circumstantial evidence.

 

CURTAIN

SCENE 1

SERGE: [
As he enters, angrily
] How thoughtful of you. [
Pulls the
Courier
out of his pocket and throws it to him
] There is nothing in the
Courier
about the Soviet Culture and Friendship Society. Or the FBI.

INGALLS: No?

SERGE: No! I make all the long trip for nothing.

INGALLS: [
Glancing through the paper
] Guess Joe Cheeseman gave me the wrong dope.

SERGE: And where is everybody? [INGALLS
slips the paper into his pocket and doesn’t answer
] Why is it in the house all the windows dark? [INGALLS
stands watching him silently
] What is the matter?

INGALLS: Serge.

SERGE: Yes?

INGALLS: Mr. Breckenridge has been murdered.

SERGE: [
Stands stock-still for a long moment, then emits one short, sick gasp—like a moan. Then snaps hoarsely and crudely:
] You are crazy! . . .

INGALLS: [
Without moving
] Mr. Breckenridge is lying dead in the garden.

SERGE: [
Sinks down into a chair, his head in his hands, and moans
] Boje moy! . . . Boje moy! . . .

INGALLS: Save it for the others, Serge. Save it for an audience.

SERGE: [
Jerks his head up, his voice harsh and deadly
] Who did it?

INGALLS: You. Or I. Or any of us.