PROLOGUE

 

A BLANK ROOM WITH FEATURELESS WHITE WALLS AND CEILING. A LARGE, RECTANGULAR WOODEN TABLE SITS CENTRESTAGE WITH THE LONG EDGE FACING THE AUDIENCE. A CLEAR PERSPEX BARRIER RISES FROM HALFWAY ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE TABLE AND EXTENDS TO THE FLOOR AND THREE FEET ABOVE THE TABLE.

 

 

LOTTIE, BERNARD AND FRED SIT AROUND ONE END OF THE TABLE. EVA AND ANNE SIT AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE TABLE. NOONE APART FROM EVA CAN SEE THROUGH THE PERSPEX BARRIER, THEY ACT AS IF OBLIVIOUS TO ITS EXISTENCE.

 

 

LOTTIE IS PALE SKINNED, DRESSED IN WHITE FROM HEAD TO TOE AND HAS ORANGE HAIR. BERNARD AND FRED ARE ELDERLY, STOUT GENTLEMEN.

 

 

EVA WEARS A VOLUMINOUS, SHABBY TRENCHCOAT AND HAS A TENDENCY TO MUTTER AND REPEAT HERSELF. ANNE IS MUCH YOUNGER AND SOMEWHAT BRISK.

 

 

LOTTIE:    (FIDDLING WITH A PENCIL) Look, I did what you wanted, ok? Risked my neck hightailing it all over the country visiting all those grubby little villages. And what do I get for the privilege? Yet another set of incomprehensible instructions to go visit somewhere else, complete another meaningless task. When’s it going to end, huh?

 

 

FRED RISES FROM HIS SEAT AND BEGINS TO PACE UP AND DOWN THE LENGTH OF THE TABLE EXCHANGING WORRIED GLANCES WITH BERNARD. EVA CAN BE SEEN ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE EDGING CLOSER TO THE TRIO AND PEERING THROUGH THE PERSPEX BARRIER.

                  

 

What I mean is when are you going to tell me what this is all about? I mean are you even going to tell me at all? Or is this another of those occasions where I never find out? I’m out of patience. The ball’s in your court now.

 

 

FRED WALKS DOWN TO STAND BEHIND LOTTIE AND PLACES HIS HANDS ON HER SHOULDERS. HE NODS ALMOST IMPERCEPTIBLY TO BERNARD.

 

 

BERNARD:         Now, now dear. There really is no need for all this anxiety. Nothing is being hidden from you, nothing at all. (HE SHAKES HIS HEAD VIGOUROUSLY)

 

 

                             LOTTIE INTERRUPTS VOCIFEROUSLY

 

 

LOTTIE:    Nothing being hidden? Yes there bloody well is. I’m not stupid you know! I can tell very well when you lot are being, let us say, ‘economical’ with the truth. So don’t you give me any of that shit, I won’t take it anymore.

 

 

BERNARD:         (IN CONCILIATORY TONE) You really must calm down dear. (GLANCES AT FRED) Maybe there are some things that we might be able to help you with if it will set your mind at ease. But we really haven’t been deliberately hiding information from you. You know that most of these projects are highly classified and, the truth is, we don’t know the half of it ourselves.

 

                             FRED NODS SLOWLY

 

                   You do understand though that if we help you with this you have to co-operate and do what we ask of you?

 

 

LOTTIE:    I’ve always done it before haven’t I? Anyway I never wanted to be part of this cloak and dagger business. All I want is to know what I’m working towards. What the point of the whole business is.

 

 

BERNARD:         Of course you do, my dear. We were saying only last week that you’ve been such a help to us. So willing and enthusiastic…weren’t we Fred? (SHORT PAUSE, NO RESPONSE FROM FRED IS FORTHCOMING) Now, where best to start? At the beginning I should imagine, you know, of course that the whole operation is masterminded by General…

 

 

FRED:        (INTERRUPTING) Come on Bernard, the child has no need to know all about that. It will only confuse her unnecessarily.

 

LOTTIE RISES AS IF TO REMONSTRATE WITH FRED, PUSHING HIS HANDS OFF OF HER SHOULDERS. FRED RAISES HIS HANDS.

                  

If you’ll bear with me one minute Lottie, I’ll explain all the things you really need to know.

 

AT THIS POINT LOTTIE, BERNARD AND FRED TAKE TO THEIR SEATS AND REMAIN MOTIONLESS.

 

 

EVA:          (STILL PEERING THROUGH THE SHIELD) Bloody hopeless the lot of them. You’d think by now they’d have gone beyond all that veiled secrecy nonsense. Chuck the initiates around until they don’t know their arse from their elbow and then complain and come over all surprised when they start acting up. Evolution? Bloody joke. If you ask me most people would better off as monkeys. Not that anyone does ask me anymore…

 

 

ANNE:        (SLEEPILY) Pardon? Were you saying something Eva? I don’t know what’s wrong with me at the moment, I’m so tired.

 

 

EVA STARTS AND TURNS AWAY FROM THE PERSPEX BARRIER QUICKLY

 

EVA:          What? Nothing. I didn’t say anything.

 

 

ANNE:        Must have dreamed it then. I’m sorry, falling asleep in front of you like that; I don’t know what came over me. What was it you wanted to talk to me about?

 

 

EVA:          (THOUGHTFULLY) Talk? To you? Hmmmm…

 

 

ANNE:        (PATIENTLY) Yes. You asked me here to tell me something. Something of vital importance you said. It must have been important to drag me out of bed at this ungodly hour! (MISCHEIVOUSLY) You haven’t forgotten have you?

 

 

EVA:          Forgotten? Pah. I’ve forgotten more than you’ll ever know missy. Of course I haven’t forgotten, why would I have? (LAPSES INTO MUMBLES)

 

 

ANNE:        Well, are you going to tell me or not then?

 

 

EVA:          Of course I’m going to tell you. I wouldn’t have dragged you out of bed not to tell you something now would I?

 

ANNE:        Go on then…

 

 

EVA:          Patience, patience, everything in its proper time. Now, do you remember the stranger that passed through the village about a month ago?

 

 

ANNE:        The weirdo with the orange hair? She was a real fruit and nut bar that one.

 

 

EVA:          (CHUCKLING) That’s the one. Although I’m sure it’s not polite to call her a fruit and nut bar. Well, I ran into her a few times in other villages in this region and thought I’d have a gander at finding out what she was doing.

 

 

ANNE:        Eva! That’s so dangerous. You know what happens to people who get caught snooping around where they shouldn’t. I’d have thought you of all people would have known better.

 

 

EVA:          Funny that. People always assume that, because of what happened to Frank, I’d be keen to keep on the right side of authority. Well, they’d be wrong. Bollocks to them all, that’s what I say. Anyway, do you want to know what I found out or would you rather lecture me some more?

 

 

ANNE:        (SIGHS) Ok, I get the picture. Still, I wish you’d take better care of yourself. (SHORT PAUSE) Go on; tell me what you found out then.

 

 

EVA:          Well, I followed her around a bit, trying to find out where she’d end up. Spent a lot of time running around in circles somewhat aimlessly if you ask me. Still, eventually I tailed her back to the Ministry of Homeland Security. You know what that means.

 

 

ANNE:        Don’t I just. Bollocks. I thought we’d been lucky to escape all of that xenophobic, protectionist ‘war on terror’ crap. But I guess the bastards always get you in the end. I’ll have to send the word out to the villages that they’d better get their happy citizen faces on. Maybe they’ll get the idea after a while and leave us in peace.

 

 

EVA:          I’m afraid it’s worse than that love.

 

 

ANNE:        What do you mean? What could possibly be worse than creepy little inspectors crawling everywhere arresting anyone who doesn’t toe the party line. Unless…they can’t…you can’t mean…?

 

 

EVA:          We are about to have the privilege of becoming the front line against the war on terror. They’re to announce on the news nets next week that this area is to become a strategic base for the military arm of the Foreign Office.

 

 

ANNE:        Real or blind?

 

 

EVA:          That I don’t know, I’m afraid.

 

 

ANNE:        Well, it isn’t really important. They’ll bomb the whole region back to the Stone Age anyway, just to ‘make sure’. I have to get out of here, to try and warn the others…before it’s too late. (SHE RUNS OFF, EXITING THE STAGE THROUGH A TRAPDOOR UPTAGE RIGHT)

 

 

EVA:          (SOFTLY) It may already be too late. God speed child.

 

EVA TURNS TO OBSERVE THE TRIO ON THE FAR SIDE OF THE PERSPEX BARRIER

                  

Fools, running blindly in the dark. Do you even know the damage you do? Do you have any idea how to undo it?

 

LOTTIE, BERNARD AND FRED UNFREEZE AND RESUME CONVERSATION.

 

 

BERNARD:         So, you do see my dear why we couldn’t tell you any of this beforehand? It would have coloured your perception and we needed your honest opinion.

 

 

LOTTIE:    Of course I do. Sacrifices have to be made after all. We’ve always known that curtailing civil liberties is the only way to effectively fight terror. Why don’t people understand that one day, when the fight is over, things can return to normal?

 

FRED AND BERNARD EXCHANGE KNOWING GLANCES OVER HER HEAD. FRED COUGHS.

 

 

BERNARD:         Still, that day is a long way off my dear. There are so many confused, misguided individuals out there who simply do not understand what we are doing. Tragically, they are as much an enemy to our cause as the terrorists themselves, you do understand that?

 

 

LOTTIE:    (IMPATIENTLY) Yes, yes. Although I don’t understand how using that area as a staging post will help us to defeat the enemy within.

 

 

FRED:        You must not speak of this to a soul Lottie. We have infiltrated a group of activists and planted certain pieces of important information concerning the new strategic outpost. We hope to goad them into attacking the base where we will have rigged a terrorist attack of our own.

 

 

LOTTIE:    But won’t that put service personnel on the base in danger?

 

 

FRED:        There will be some unavoidable casualties. However, the base will be a blind, staffed by minimal numbers of personnel.

 

 

LOTTIE:    Still, simulating a terrorist attack on our own people. What threat could possibly demand that level of response?

 

 

FRED:        I don’t think you quite understand what these activists are capable of.

 

 

BERNARD:         They are quite ruthless my dear.

 

 

FRED:        Quite so, they will stop at nothing to defeat our cause.

 

 

BERNARD:         And there are practical considerations. How are we supposed to go after the real enemy when we face attacks at home from our own people?

 

 

FRED:        So you see, we must root out the violent extremists in our own backyard. Purify our own soil before we destroy terrorism worldwide. This operation has been planned for some time as a last resort.

 

 

BERNARD:         Quite regrettable that it should come to this.

 

 

FRED:        But it has, and we will do what is necessary. We have to for if we do not, who will?

 

 

LOTTIE:    I understand. We must do what we can. You know I’ll help in whatever way I can.

 

 

BERNARD:         As we always knew you would. You always were a sensible child. Now, listen carefully, time is running short. You must proceed to the usual rendezvous point where you’ll be met by a contact who will give you knew directions.

 

 

FRED:        You are to proceed to the location detailed by the contact and await further instructions. We will need your help in reeling the activists in. You have been given sensitive information so that you understand how vital your part in this mission is. We are trusting you to move with all haste and complete it to the best of your ability.

 

 

BERNARD:         We know you will not fail child, you cannot, too much is at stake now.

 

 

LOTTIE:    I will do what I must. May I go?

 

 

FRED:        Dismissed.

 

 

BERNARD:         God speed my dear.

 

LOTTIE SALUTES AND MARCHES OFF TO EXIT VIA THE TRAPDOOR UPSTAGE RIGHT. BERNARD AND FRED LOOK AT EACHOTHER IN SILENCE FOR A SHORT TIME.

 

BERNARD:         Good God, what have we done?

 

 

FRED:                 What we had to. The threat must be countered, you know that.

 

 

BERNARD:         But the price, the terrible price. Paid in blood and pain.

 

 

FRED:                 Yet paid it must be and paid it will be.

 

 

BERNARD:         We must not fail.

 

BERNARD AND FRED EXIT VIA THE TRAPDOOR UPSTAGE RIGHT. EVA MOVES OVER TO THEIR SIDE OF THE TABLE AND SITS DOWN.

 

EVA:          Always it will be the innocents that pay your price. Do you even realise this? How did we come to lose our way in such a manner as this? (PAUSES) For better or for worse it begins here, tonight.