A Separate War and Other Stories (33 page)
Read A Separate War and Other Stories Online
Authors: Joe Haldeman
GEORGE
CHILDISH DEFIANCE
That's for me to know and you to find out.
O'HARA glances at FRIEDMAN, and he adjusts dial upward with audible click. HOLD SUBLIMINAL and ADD SUBLIMINAL: Little finger being pushed back to breaking point.
BIG CLOSE-UP on O'HARA'S face, smiling. Sharp intake of breath from GEORGE (OFF).
O'HARA
Whom are you going to kill?
GEORGE
Stop it. Make him stop it.
O'HARA
Whom are you going to kill?
GEORGE
Make him stop.
O'HARA
MOVING EVEN CLOSER TO GEORGE, SMILING
More.
HOLD SUBLIMINAL and ADD SUBLIMINAL: Knitting needle being pushed through thigh. GEORGE moans. SOMATIC: Female sexual tension 0.40. BIG CLOSE-UP on O'HARA, panting through her nose, teeth clenched.
O'HARA
Whom are you going to kill?
GEORGE
Iâ¦can'tâ¦say.
O'HARA
Moreâ¦
Click and HOLD SUBLIMINAL and ADD SUBLIMINAL: Extreme pressure on testicles. SOMATIC: Female sexual tension 0.75.
MEDIUM TWO SHOT of GEORGE and O'HARA. GEORGE has head thrown back, features contorted, screaming; O'HARA leaning over him, hands on his forearms, shouting into his face:
O'HARA
AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS
Whom are you going to kill whom are you going to kill whom are you going to kill?
HAZLIK (OFF)
WHISPERS
God.
FRIEDMAN
CALMLY, ACADEMICALLY
This level of pain is greater than that experienced by one who burns to death.
JOHNS
SLIGHTLY BOTHERED
You might as well try something else. This isn't going to work.
FRIEDMAN
You're probably right.
GEORGE'S screams stop abruptly. SUBLIMINALS OUT.
O'HARA
Whom are you going to kill whom are you going to kill whom are you?
O'HARA slips lithely off him and holds hand out to FRIEDMAN.
O'HARA
Quickly.
FRIEDMAN HANDS her a small ampoule. She grabs GEORGE by the hairâhis head is lolling and he's whimpering like a childâand holds his head up while she crushes ampoule under his nose. Immediate SOMATIC: Male sexual tension 0.70, SMELL: Full-strength Stiffner ©.
O'HARA
TEASING GROTESQUELY
I've got something you wa-ant.
GEORGE looks at her sickly and takes in ragged breath. SOMATIC: Male sexual tension 0.75.
GEORGE
HOARSELY
Come here.
O'HARA
Not until you tell me. Whom did Fredrika order you to kill?
FULL-BODY SHOT of O'HARA past GEORGE. O'HARA pulls shift over her head and, underneath, is wearing only a little wisp of bright material which clings wetly to her. She has a ripe young figure, shiny with perspiration. SOMATIC: Male sexual tension 0.85, painful erection.
O'HARA
Who-o-o?
GEORGE shakes his head violently, incapable of speech or not trusting himself. A little salvia has trickled out of the corner of his mouth. O'HARA approaches him and kneels, begins caressing the back of his hand with her breast. FEEL: Featherlight touch of breast on back of hand which is struggling to clutch but unable to turn over. SOMATIC: Male sexual tension 0.93. SMELL: Female, male musk.
O'HARA
Just one little name, and I'll take care of you.
O'HARA stands and turns her back to GEORGE; slowly slides final garment down. SOMATIC: Male sexual tension 0.95.
O'HARA (FACING AWAY)
Just tell me, George.
GEORGE groans something intelligible. O'HARA turns and, in a quick smooth motion, mounts his hand and begins rubbing back and forth. FEEL: Slippery labia, unnaturally hot and wet. SMELL: Female musk UP. SOMATIC: Male sexual tension 0.99; unbearable, gut-wrenching frustration.
O'HARA
HUSKILY
If you wantâ¦
GEORGE
SCREAMS
Haz-lik!
Hazlik
!
FEEL, SMELL, SOMATIC all OUT. O'HARA slides off GEORGE and slips back into clothes. FEEL: Wetness on back of hand turning cold and sticky as HAZLIK crosses in blind fury. ADRENALINE: 0.75.
HAZLIK
BARELY CONTROLLED
You are going to dieâ¦
TIGHT TWO SHOT: HAZLIK and GEORGE. HAZLIK has produced a shooter and is holding it at GEORGE'S head. He lowers aim, pointing it at his groin.
â¦and it's up to you whether you die quickly or in great agony.
GEORGE
Don'tâ¦don't killâ¦
HAZLIK
Who ordered the contract? Who wants me dead?
GEORGE
I don't know, she never tells me, please,
please
don't killâ¦
MORENO (OFF)
He's probably telling the truth, Hazlik.
HAZLIK thumbs safety on shooter; it begins to hum. ADRENALINE: Down to 0.50.
HAZLIK
You're right.
HAZLIK turns to face MORENO and drops shooter in tunic pocket. ADRENALINE: 0.35.
HAZLIK
Let's go talk to Fredrika.
JOHNS
Shall we kill him?
HAZLIK
Eventually.
TO O'HARA, LEERING
You may practice on him first. Don't worry about marks.
CUT TO: Main room again. Party going full swing, people laughing and chattering. FREDRIKA is seated near the bar, looking deadly. DOLLY in for TIGHT GROUP SHOT as HAZLIK and MORENO approach.
SOUND UNDER and HOLD ADRENALINE.
FREDRIKA
COLDLY, TO HAZLIK
Where is my husband?
HAZLIK
He's enjoying his own private party right now.
MORENO
And being positively garrulous.
FREDRIKA
Oh? I'm glad to hear that. I was afraid he wasn't having a very good time.
MORENO
HISSES
He stillâ
HAZLIK
INTERRUPTING
He talked, Fredrika. I know he came here to kill me.
You
came here to kill me.
FREDRIKA
WHISPERS
You fool. Both of you, fools.
MORENO
No, dear, for a change you play the fool. This time you went too far.
FREDRIKA
VENOMOUS
If you kill me, an army will be at your door by dawn.
HAZLIK
By dawn, I will have an army here to meet them.
MORENO
Two armies.
HAZLIK
Perhaps, though, if you will tell me who contracted for my deathâ¦
FREDRIKA
You know I can't do that.
HAZLIK
This one time; this last time, you had better.
FREDRIKA
LOOKING AT MORENO
Alone.
HAZLIK
All right. (TO MORENO) You will excuse us?
MORENO makes exaggerated bow. FREDRIKA and HAZLIK leave wordlessly. MORENO watches them go and speaks softly into his bracelet.
CUT TO: TIGHT TWO SHOT of FREDRIKA and HAZLIK alone in a corridor. HAZLIK opens an ornate, old-fashioned manual door.
HAZLIK
WRYLY
My chambers.
LONG SHOT past HAZLIK and FREDRIKA to opulent bedroom; a fantasy of glass and velvet and silk. SUBLIMINAL: Feel of velvet and silk, sound of fine glass tinkling. Slight SMELL: Dope. SOMATIC: Dope 0.08. A tall, beautiful girl sits naked on the couch by the bed, smoking dope and reading. Unruffled, she puts down the viewer and slips a housecoat over her shoulders; crosses to exit between HAZLIK and FREDRIKA.
HAZLIK
I'll call for you later. (MOTIONS TO FREDRIKA)
Have a seat, dear.
HAZLIK crosses to a large bar and selects a fine decanter.
HAZLIK
Brandy?
FREDRIKA
Just a taste.
HAZLIK pours two small glasses of brandy, his back to FREDRIKA, watching her in a mirror. She doesn't move. He reaches in tunic pocket and takes out his shooter. SOUND: Soft hum; still activated. He crosses to FREDRIKA with shooter in right hand and drink in left.
HAZLIK
Distilled from the finest Antarean vintage.
FREDRIKA accepts, not looking at shooter, and takes a small sip.
FREDRIKA
It travels well.
HAZLIK returns to the bar and gets his glass, then sits on bed about two meters from FREDRIKA. He empties the glass in one swallow. TASTE and SMELL: Fine brandy; SOMATIC: Liquor burning on its way down.
HAZLIK
Well?
FREDRIKA
The man who contracted for your death is one of my oldest and most valued customers.
HAZLIK
Was. As our friend pointed out, you are no longer in the business. (PAUSES) You may yet live, though.
FREDRIKA
LAUGHS SOFTLY
You can't allow me to live.
TAKES LONG SLOW SIP OF BRANDY
Neither can Moreno.
FREDRIKA reaches up and takes a long pin out of her hair. The hair falls in a soft white cascade around her shoulders. She was very beautiful once.
HAZLIK
RAISING SHOOTER
That pin is a weapon.
FREDRIKA
With proper knowledge, anything is a weapon. (PAUSES) Don't worry. I won't throw it at you.
HAZLIK
More of your nerve poison?
FREDRIKA
Oh, you found out George's little secret? How many men did it take?
HAZLIK
Two. We have atropine now, though. (TAKES AMPOULE OUT OF HIS POCKET AND SHOWS IT TO HER) You might as well tell me who your customer was. If nothing else, I can promise you a pleasant death.
FREDRIKA
Having made a lifelong study of the subject, I can assure you that there is no such thing as a pleasant death. Not even painless death is pleasant, not even for an eighty-year-old woman.
FREDRIKA stands and begins walking. For once, she looks as old as she is. CAMERA FOLLOWS as she talks, fiddling with the pin.
FREDRIKA
You don't recall the last time you contracted for my services.
HAZLIK (OFF)
Of course not.
FREDRIKA
It was a most unusual request. Also very difficult. But I accepted the challenge.
HAZLIK (OFF)
So? You were paid well, noâ
FREDRIKA
I wouldn't have risked it if it hadn't meant so much to you. I've always respected you, Theo; loved you in my own way.
ADRENALINE: 0.20. SUBLIMINAL: Rattlesnake coiling.
FREDRIKA
You were very disturbed, agitated. You had tried a multitude of other possible solutions before coming to me. None of them was satisfactory.
ADRENALINE: 0.40. SUBLIMINAL: Guillotine rising, rusty squeak.
HAZLIK (OFF)
What has this to doâ
FREDRIKA
Patience. Old people do rattle on.
FREDRIKA stops walking a little more than an arm's length from HAZLIK. ADRENALINE: 0.50, SUBLIMINAL: Losing balance on edge of cliff.
FREDRIKA
You were afraid that your empire was going to crumble because of the weakness of one man.
