The Year of the Sex Olympics and other TV Plays Read Online Free Page A

There may be forces whose nature we can in no way grasp—inaccessible to our finest philosophy.
    COBB (flatly) : Don’t quote.
    JETHRO : Did I?
    COBB : “More things in heaven and earth, Horatio”. Above all, don’t quote a poet, a professional liar. (His anger rising) You have been taught some discipline of the mind, Jethro. Never, never betray that. I will not have those about me who would open doors to confusion and magic! (Breathing harder, he waves him away) Get out. Get out there and help them.
    The door opens. It is Sir Timothy.
    JETHRO (stiffly) : Sir . . . can I take these things out for you? The electroscope?
    SIR TIMOTHY : You know what it is?
    JETHRO : Yes. In spite of the cat.
    SIR TIMOTHY : Er . . . Please take it.
    Jethro picks it up deftly.
    INSIDE THE TAVERN BAR
    The men are crowding round the bar as Jethro passes. The landlord is serving hot toddy.
    Sam Towler is standing where he was, near the window. Tetsy is with him. She shrinks against him as Jethro passes.
    LANDLORD (off-stage) : Tetsy. Where are you, girl?
    TETSY : Coming, father—
    She runs to help him.
    OUTSIDE THE TAVERN
    Jethro comes out of the tavern. He glances about, goes to the handcart. He sets the electroscope into a pad of sacking, covers it and starts to strap it down.
    INSIDE THE PRIVATE ROOM
    The landlord enters with a tray on which are a glass jug of steaming toddy and three glasses. He places it before Sir Timothy, who pours.
    COBB : Jethro’s an experiment— (to Sir Timothy) You see, I make them too. On the whole, he works.
    SIR TIMOTHY : He’s a man.
    COBB : He is now. Almost. He was bought in slavery by an old friend of mine. His mind was a child’s. Less, with nothing in it but a little darkness. I emptied it clean, poured in new impressions and the ideas they formed. Nothing old or false, no cant. I set him at all matters, to seek truth. Tested his brain against others in argument. And at last—that savage is the equal of any man in the kingdom.
    SIR TIMOTHY : Then why do you not respect him?
    COBB (astonished) : Respect? Respect, sir, is no part or parcel of the matter. You might as sensibly ask me to respect him for the silver buckles I’ve put upon him.
    SIR TIMOTHY : I can respect him.
    Cobb stares at him. The ready guffaw does not come. He is uneasy at the working of something on another level. The way to deal with it is to demolish it.
    COBB (roaring) : Sir, you have a vice of politeness in you.
    LAVINIA (laughing) : Politeness a vice?
    COBB : Nay, in many it is. Should he succeed this night, he’ll beg pardon of the ghosts for raising ’em. (He laughs with Lavinia, raising his glass to Sir Timothy) Truth in toddy, sir. Well, here’s to your enterprise—
    INSIDE THE TAVERN BAR
    The toddy is going down fast in the bar outside. There is a buzz of drink-warmed argument, at the centre of which are Big Jeff and Sam Towler.
    BIG JEFF : And there’s not even a gibbet round these parts.
    SAM : I know naught about that—
    BIG JEFF : A gibbet’s where you find ’em. Ay. Over to Palehouse Common, there was that old gibbet there, and the place was alive with ’em. (A wink at his neighbour on the other side) Every night, mark you, not just once a year—
    The camera pans to Tetsy. She is crossing with a couple of tankards in her hands when something catches her attention. She goes to the door and looks out.
    OUTSIDE THE TAVERN
    Jethro is crouching beside the handcart. His manner has changed: His face is somehow loosened, the eyes wide and distant. He is crooning to himself a tune of deep and ancient sadness, the words forgotten.
    He is oblivious of the girl watching him from the doorway.
    INSIDE THE PRIVATE ROOM
    Sir Timothy is pulling on his greatcoat. Cobb picks his up and struggles with it.
    COBB : Where’s that damned cannibal of mine? Never where I need him.
    LAVINIA : You speak so, Mr. Cobb—
    COBB (lost in the folds) : And mean it too.
    LAVINIA : Yet you fight against slavery—
    COBB (emerging) : Slavery has