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The Deatherians
by John O'Keefe

 

Scene 6

(The lights rise on Krator and Mrs. Latia Camillio * sitting, facing each other, their knees almost touching. Krator is now wearing a lab coat. This is KRATOR'S OFFICE in the halcyon CENTER. They speak in hushed tones.)

Mrs. Latia Camillio

Will we meet again?

(Krator looks at her for a long time.)

Krator

I don't know, Latia.

(Latia turns away from Krator. )

Latia

I will not cry anymore, not until he is gone.

(Krator gently puts his hand on her shoulder.)

Krator

There will be no pain.

Latia

I know.

Krator

You know that by accepting the ring he gives his final consent?

(Latia composes herself and looks at Krator)

 

Latia

I understand and so does he. It is time.

(She stands. Krator rises and pulls aside a curtain surrounding a bed. Dr. TORVALD* steps out from behind the curtain.)

Krator

This is my assistant, Dr. Torvald.

(Latia turns her eyes to Torvald. Torvald bows formally. Krator looks at his watch..)

Scene 7

(Termination room: There is the sound of a soothing, heavenly drone in the darkness. Just below the drone is the sound of a heartbeat on an EKG. Latia is standing at the bedside of her husband, Herman.* Latia is showing her husband pictures of the grandchildren.)

Latia

...at the picnic on the lake in Ooster Park. Isn't she funny? And there is Goldung. Hasn't he grown?

(Herman brushes the photos aside. They fall on the floor.)

Herman

Enough of this silly prattle. Do you think it makes me happy to see young people healthy and alive with years before them?

Latia

(Picking the photos from the floor.)

They are your grandchildren.

Herman

Do they know they are going to die?

Latia

I'm sure they do.

Herman

I doubt it. They look too cheery and stupid. (Looking down at his arm) What is that thing?

Lydia

It's your arm, dear. You always forget that it's yours.

Herman

Oh, my brain again. I'll be glad to get rid of it. Come on, Krator, get it over with. (He says to his wife confidentially) The fucker is lurking in the shadows. Watch what you say.

Krator

(From the shadows)

Yes, Mr. Camillio?

Herman

Why don't you come out and show yourself?

Krator

I thought that you would want to be alone with your wife, Mr. Camillio.

Herman

Do you think I don't know you're there?

(Krator steps out of the dark. He is carrying a small black box with an antenna sticking out of it.)

Herman (cont.)

You must call me, Herman. After all we are on quite intimate terms.

Krator

Yes, Herman, and you may call me, Hess.

Herman

I won't be calling anybody anything much longer. (Latia turns away. Herman grabs Litia's hand.) Latia, you must do something for me.

Latia

Anything, Herman.

Herman

I want you to cover my face with a sheet. (She hesitates.) Do it! When I take a shit I close the door, don't I?

Krator

We don't have to go through with this, Herman.

(Herman laughs bitterly.)

 

 

 

Herman

Don't we? How much time do I have, a month, two months? No sleep, just pain? It's going to happen anyway. Besides, it's the only thing my insurance would cover.

Latia

You seemed reconciled.

Herman

When your time comes, perhaps you won't be so reconciled. (He sighs. He takes Litia's hand.) I'm sorry. I've been hard on you.

(Latia clasps Herman's hand.)

Latia

We shall see each other again, Herman, on the other side, and you will be well and free from pain.

Herman

The other side of what? Pull the sheet over me.

(Latia looks at her husband, then and Krator. Krator nods at her. She looks at her husband.)

Latia

May I kiss you?

Herman

Kiss me? Oh, kiss you good-bye? (He looks up at her. His eyes soften.) It is not your fault. Kiss me.

(Latia bends and kisses Herman. It is a long and tender kiss. She raises up and looks down at him.)

Latia

I will have faith for both of us.

Herman

You must. I have none. Now pull the sheet over my face.

(Latia looks at him as if trying to remember his face.)

Herman

Do it.

(Latia pulls the sheet over Herman's face. Krator takes the ring box from his pocket.)

Krator

I must ask you again, Herman, do you willingly consent, being fully conscious that by wearing this ring, I will bring you to Terminus?

Herman

(Impatiently, from beneath the sheet)

Yes. Yes.

Krator

Then I will give your wife the ring.

(Krator gives Latia the ring. Latia turns to her husband. She takes his hand and slips the ring on his finger.)

Latia

Just as I have married you in life, so I marry you again.

(Herman, from beneath the sheet.)

Herman

Oh, for Christ's sake.

Latia

We will see each other again, Herman. I know it.

Herman

You are a good woman, Latia. Forgive me for being such a burden.

Latia

You've been no burden.

Herman

Bullshit. Hess?

Krator

Yes, Herman?

Herman

Good-bye, and thank you.

Krator

Good-bye, Herman.

Herman

Good-bye.

Latia

Till we meet again.

Herman

Do it, Dr. Krator.

(Krator turns a key at the console. The light shining on Herman's bed rises brighter. The sound of the EKG grows louder. The beats become erratic as Herman, beneath the sheet, stiffens and begins to shudder. The EKG slows down as he relaxes and sighs softly and goes still. The EKG goes flatline. Krator crosses to. He pulls the sheet away from the corpse and looks down at it. A special cross-fades to Krator.)

Krator

(singing)

The past is death;

close as the last moment;

a pile of beer bottles next morning,

toothpaste on the side of the sink.

When we look at the past the eyes of the dead shine.

In their light we find our memories.

The future is the unknown dead behind our backs

swimming up on us.

There is only one moment left ,

a twitch.

 

Scene 8

(The lights switch to the Termination Room. Herman's dead body is still there covered by the sheet. Dr. Torvald is looking at Mr. Camillio's brain scan. Dr. Krator begins removing the termination equipment from Herman's body.)

Torvald

Mr. Camillio's brain died at 13:02.

Krator

I'll tell you why he did it.

Torvald

Why?

Krator

To get back at his wife. What a stupid, passive cow. Handed from mother to mother. How else could he get back at them but shit in their hands?

Torvald

Would you like to come to dinner tonight? I'm sure Nora has fixed something fine.

(Krator breaks into laughter.)

Krator

Having problems with your wife again?

 

Torvald

Yes.

Krator

What a useless waste of time.

Torvald

Yes.

Krator

What is the problem now?

Torvald

She is moody.

Krator

Women are chemical factories. Don't pay any attention.

Torvald

She says I don't pay any attention.

Krator

Or you don't pay the right attention. Or you don't pay attention at the right times. I know, I know, I've gone through it all before.

Torvald

I'm afraid she's going to leave me.

 

Krator

Good riddance. You make enough to pay the alimony.

Torvald

But the children...

(Krator waves him off.)

Krator

Please.

(Torvald crosses to the monitor. Krator goes to his desk and begins tabulating Herman's termination expenses.)

Krator

I hate these HMO killings. There's not enough money in it.

Torvald

I've been working on something, Hess.

Krator

Dizzy hands are the Devil's teapot.

Torvald

Until now I've been reluctant to talk to you about it. It's about the brain scans.

Krator

Dead people's brain scans?

Torvald

Yes.

Krator

My god, Torvald, that's perverse.

Torvald

I've conducted an intense study of thousands of brain scans. I have found something.

Krator

Good.

Torvald

A brain wave, very rare.

Krator

Really?

Torvald

In the alpha frequency.

Krator

Wow.

Torvald

Stop it. You must listen to me. Dr. Krator, 1.5% of the brain waves are exactly the same.

Krator

Christ, Torvald, you're wasting your time. The brain of a dead man is about as interesting as a can of rotten worms.

Torvald

But Identity, Krator, what is identity?

Krator

Identity is a complex illusion, a lot of work for nothing. We are all more or less idiots and more or less dead. (Krator crosses to his coat and puts it on.) You amaze me, Torvald, you have such a fine mind, why do you feed it such kibble?

Torvald

There are things happening right under our nose that we don't know about. What we see is conditioned by what we look for. This brain wave is something new. It could have tremendous implications.

Krator

Do you eat her out?

Torvald

What?

Krator

Your wife?

Torvald

No.

Krator

You should give her head. (Heads for the door.) Tat siens.

Torvald

Tat strats.

(Krator slits a grin at Torvald.)

Krator

Give my regards to your wife.

Continued...


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