Speed-the-Plow (9 page)

F
OX
: You talked of love.

K
AREN
: Is that. . .

F
OX
: Did . . .?

K
AREN
: Is that so impossible . . .?

F
OX
: It's not impossible. No. Not at all. You were drawn to him. You were drawn to a man. It's not impossible, I think that we would say it happens all the time; you “said” things to each other. (
Pause.
) Things occurred. And this is serious. Forgive me if my words seem to belie that, but I'm doing all I can, ‘cause I love this guy, too. My
question
: you answer me frankly, as I know you will: you came to his house with the preconception, you wanted him to greenlight the book. (
Pause.
)

K
AREN
: Yes.

F
OX
: If he had said “No,” would you have gone to bed with him?

K
AREN
(
pause
): I don't think that I'll answer you.

F
OX
: No?

K
AREN
: I don't think you have the right to ask it. Bob . . .

G
OULD
:
I
would like to know the answer.

Karen: You would.

G
OULD
: Yes. I would. (
Pause.
)

K
AREN
: Bob. Bob: the man I could respect. . .

G
OULD
: Without the bullshit. Just tell me. You're living in a World of Truth. Would you of gone to bed with me, I didn't do your book. (
Pause.
)

K
AREN
: No. (
Pause.
) No.

G
OULD
: Oh, God, now I'm lost.

F
OX
: Bob . . .

G
OULD
: Please be quiet for one moment.

K
AREN
: Bob. Bob, we have the opportunity . . .

F
OX
: “We"? “We” . . . ? I know who
he
is, who are you? Some broad from the Temporary Pool. A Tight Pussy wrapped around Ambition. That's who
you
are, Pal. Now you listen to me, Bob . . .

G
OULD
: Charlie. Please . . .

K
AREN
: We talked last night, Bob . . .

G
OULD
: You told me to Be a Man . . .

F
OX
: “Be a Man"? “Be a Man"? What right do you have? You know what this man has
done . . . ?
(
Phone rings, F
OX
picks it up. Into phone
:) Yes. One moment. Please . . . (
Hangs up.
)

G
OULD
: Oh, God. I don't know what to do.

F
OX
: You know the right thing to do.

K
AREN
: Bob, Bob. You reached out to me . . .

F
OX
: He reached out to you? He fucked you on a bet.

K
AREN
: I don
'
t care.

F
OX
: You don't “care"?

K
AREN
: Bob, perfect love . . .

G
OULD
: Yes. Alright. Alright. Alright. Alright. Perfect Love. Alright. Just
stop
for a moment, will you? Will you? Will you just fucken’ stop taking a
piece
of me for a moment.
Everyone.
Just
stop.
I need one moment, please.

K
AREN
: Bob, we decided last
night.

G
OULD
: Yes. I'm
lost,
do you hear me, I'm
lost.
I have to think, I. . .

K
AREN
: We decided last night.

G
OULD
: We what?

K
AREN
: We decided last night.

F
OX
: Bob: I need you.

G
OULD
: I have to think.

F
OX
: I need you to remember me.

G
OULD
: I have to stop. I have to
think
now.

K
AREN
: Bob . . .

G
OULD
: . . . No.

K
AREN
: Bob, we have a meeting. (
Pause.
)

F
OX
: I rest my case. (
Pause.
)

K
AREN
: Did I say something wrong . . . ?

F
OX
: No. We have a meeting, that's true. Thank you, honey.

K
AREN
: Did I say something wrong . . . ?

F
OX
: Not at all. (
Picks up phone. Dials.
) Yes. Charlie Fox. Calling for Bob Gould. Mr. Gould and I have a. . . Yes. Mr. Ross is back from . . .? Fine. Would you tell him we'll be just two, three minutes late? Thank you. (
Hangs up.
)

G
OULD
: I have to change my shirt.

K
AREN
: I don't understand.

G
OULD
: We're rather busy now. You'll excuse me. Mr. Fox will show you out.

K
AREN
: No. No. Listen to me. One moment. One moment, Bob. Wait, Bob. The things we said last night. You called for help. Bob, you remember? Listen to me. (
She picks up the book and starts to read
:) “One bell was ‘showers about us’: two bells was ‘showers across the Lake'; three bells was ‘showers across the Ocean'; and four bells was ‘showers across the World.’ And he wondered how they had obtained that concession to rehearse the bells for the benefit of this instruction.” No, that's the wrong bit. That's not the part . ..
(
G
OULD
exits to the washroom. She looks
up
.) Bob. . .?

F
OX
: That was a close one. Don't you think?

K
AREN
: I think I'm being punished for my wickedness.

F
OX
: Yeah, I do, too. You got a lot of nerve, Babe. And I'll tell you something else, that's why you're
stupid,
is you made your move on something wasn't
ever
going to make a movie. Cause the people wouldn't come. (
He picks up the book, reads
:) “The Earth burned. But the last man had a vision . . .”

K
AREN
: I don't belong here.

F
OX
: Well, I can help you out on that. You ever come on the lot again, I'm going to have you killed. Goodbye. See you at the A and P.

K
AREN
: Goodbye.

F
OX
: I heard you. (
Pause.
)

K
AREN
: What did I say . . . ?

F
OX
: . . . Uh huh . ..

K
AREN
: I don't understand.

F
OX
: I'll send you the coverage. (
Pause.
) Goodbye. You've said your piece. Now go away. (
Pause.
)

K
AREN
: I hope . . .

F
OX
: We
all
hope. It's what keeps us alive. (
Pause.
K
AREN
exits. He picks up the book, throws it out after her.
) And take this with you. (To
himself
:) “How are things made round. . .
(
G
OULD
reenters, tucking in his clean shirt. Pause.
G
OULD
looks at
F
OX
.) Well, Bob, you're human. You think I don't know? I know. We wish people would like us, huh? To Share Our Burdens. But it's not to be.

G
OULD
: . . . I suppose not.

F
OX
: You're goddamn right, not. And what
if
this fucken’ “grace” exists? It's not for you. You know that, Bob. You know that. You have a different thing.

G
OULD
: She told me I was a good man.

F
OX
: How would
she
know? You
are
a good man. Fuck
her.

G
OULD
: I only wanted . . .

F
OX
: I know what you wanted, Bob.

G
OULD
: I only wanted . . .

F
OX
: I know what you wanted, Bob. You wanted to do good.

G
OULD
: Yes. (
Pause.
) Thank you.

F
OX
: Hey, what'd you want me to say, Bob, you “Owe” me . . .? (
Phone rings
, F
OX
answers it. Into phone
:) We're coming . . . (
Hangs up.
) Because we joke about it, Bob, we joke about it, but it
is
a “People Business,” what else is there . . . ?

G
OULD
: I wanted to do Good . . . But I became foolish.

F
OX
: Well, so we learn a lesson. But we aren't here to “pine,” Bob, we aren't put here to
mope.
What are we here to do (
Pause
) Bob? After everything is said and done. What are we put on earth to do?

G
OULD
: We're here to make a movie.

F
OX
: Whose name goes above the title?

G
OULD
: Fox and Gould.

F
OX
: Then how bad can life be?