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First Playlet
Characters in order of appearance: Time & Place: Much of the action takes place inside and just outside the Listener’s House, on the outskirts of Junk City, where Listener lives and works. The Listener’s House is a specially built hut, reinforced inside with beams and supports of salvaged metal and wood, rough and unadorned. The central feature is the Machine. It is a kind of two-way shortwave radio, a device for calling out and for listening. It is ancient and has been repaired 200-some times, cobbled and welded and jimmied together out of salvaged parts and becoming stranger in appearance in the process. There is a separate microphone, hand-held or sitting on the table. The Machine is a sacred object but unadorned and pure in its utility. It towers over Listener on a specially reinforced table. Next to it is something for Listener to sit on while listening, and nearby is a narrow bed or pallet for sleeping. A bucket of water, a cup. Not much else. Beyond Junk City: vast wilderness. Note:
THE LISTENER (SMAK and JELLY enter. They are young, thin, dressed in patchwork threadbare much-repaired odds and ends of old clothes. They’ve got rope and baskets hanging off them, chains, pockets or pouches all over their clothes, all kinds of way to bring back what they find, as well as small repurposed digging tools. They are working: looking for useful things in the dump hills.) SMAK Break. JELLY (not stopping, not looking at him) Dint find yet today. SMAK Yuh uh. JELLY (still not stopping) Nuh huh.
SMAK Found that, that, that, in your—
JELLY (still not stopping) That? Namer may differ, Jimmy may find use, but I got Grave Doubts that dohick good for anything but throw at your head make a dent.
SMAK Lemme see again.
JELLY (still not stopping) Nuh, keep findin, lazy never-ready slack-footed blind-eyed couldn’t-find-yuh-stones-with-both-hands-and-a-micra-snoop—
SMAK Play yuh for it.
(Instantly:)
SMAK & JELLY Crack whack Turn ‘im back Up a shiny mountain in a cadillac One go up One stay down SMAK & JELLY cont’d. One go postal in a see-thru gown Eeky meeky mikey mo Man in the moon gonna kill you slow Ring around a scapegoat Pocket fulla no vote Ashheap, ashheap, WE DON’T FALL DOWN
(On the last word they launch at each other wrestling-wise; Jelly evades Smak and trips him so he falls but she loses her balance and falls too.)
SMAK Hah, you down.
JELLY You down first.
SMAK But you down too, give it.
(Jelly fishes out a small object and gives it to Smak: a metal garlic press, corroded with age.)
JELLY Oky, oky, fine, here, but we betta do betta today, betta find something worth finding today or we be the laughing-socks of the Finduhs. You want to be the laughing-sock? (Using her hand like a puppet, in a high puppet voice:) Ha-ha-ha, you find FRUG ALL, dope finduhs, ha-ha-ha.
SMAK (paying no attention to her) Bet this a new-find.
JELLY That for Namer to say.
SMAK Bet it is. Never seen a junk like this before. Bet it’s a new-found-thing and we found it.
JELLY Don’t cook your findings before they’re named. Namer will say. Then Jimmies will make with. Not ours to worry, thank Sam.
SMAK Wonder what it good for.
JELLY Not our job, Smak. Let Namer name, let Jimmies jimmy. We Finduhs. Guess what we do?
SMAK But wonder what it for, don’t you, why Sam left it for us?
JELLY Oky, lazy boyo, find or frug, I got no mood for splittin’ hairs of how many rats can dance on a pinhead—
SMAK Oh, frug, Jelly, frug, I choose frug.
JELLY Daytime frug when we ought to be findin, you a bad, bad boyo.
SMAK Oky, Jelly, what you say, but you the best Finduh in Junk City and it my pride and priv to ever ever jimmy you, say the word, sweet Jelly, yow.
JELLY Screep, Smak, you gotta way, no tweak.
(They begin to maul each other sexily when a LOUD SOUND is heard off. They instantly look off, in full alert. They are dead still for a moment, looking and listening, then they exit in pursuit.
Elsewhere, LISTENER is revealed, sitting next to her Machine. She is perfectly still for the time it takes to breath in and out slowly. thrice. Then she speaks suddenly, in a quick, quiet monotone, words learned by rote.)
LISTENER Calling anyone repeat anyone is anyone out there this is Junk City calling repeat this is Junk City do you read me repeat do you read me come in please repeat come in please repeat come in please over.
(She stops abruptly, listens in stillness for the time it takes to breath in and out slowly, thrice.)
Calling anyone repeat anyone is anyone out there this is Junk City calling repeat this is Junk City do you read me repeat do you read me come in please repeat come in please repeat come in please over.
(She listens again for the time it takes to breath in and out slowly, twice. Below her tone becomes less rote, more intimate. She regularly stops short into a brief listening silence, then resumes speaking as if there has been no interruption.)
Calling anyone repeat anyone.
This is Listener calling. This is the Listener of Junk City.
There was Listener before me. Listener before him. Back and back. No one knows how far back. Always been a Listener in Junk City.
He never heard. Got the long silence. Her too. Both listened. All their years. Listened, listened. Heard nothing. Died all right, I think. Did their jobs well. Gave onto me the know-how. Words, tools, machine. Safe keeping of all that.
How to keep, how to tend, how to keep it running. Mostly how to call and how to listen. That’s me. Only me. Only ever one, at a time. Only can spare one.
All others have their work. Finders. Namer. Jimmies. Finders find junk, Namer names junk, Jimmies jimmy junk together. Build or cook or what it needs. What junk needs done to it, Jimmies do. That’s how it works in Junk City. We inherited. We re-jimmied. We make it work.
How do you make it work?
(A two-breath listening. Back to rote speech.)
Calling anyone repeat anyone is anyone out there this is Junk City calling repeat this is Junk City do you read me repeat do you read me come in please repeat come in please repeat come in please over.
(She listens in stillness again. Smak and Jelly enter dragging/pulling/pushing JOHN, who is tied up with old phone cord or electrical wires or rope made of braided plastic shopping bags. John is taller and healthier looking than the Junk City people, wearing synthetic clothes, boots, and some sort of gas mask that covers his face. Smak & Jelly are gleeful, knocking him around playfully and bouncing around themselves.)
JOHN (shouting as they enter, slightly muffled by mask) This is unnecessary, I’m here on a peaceful—let me go, listen, this is completely un—*hey, listen to me, I came here to find you, I’m not—
SMAK (*overlapping) What we found—
JELLY What we found—
SMAK & JELLY What we fruggin found!
(They have reached Listener’s House and are suddenly still.)
JOHN Listen, you can let me go, I won’t—
SMAK & JELLY (physically subduing him) SHHH!
(Listener hears them. She goes to the door of her House, opens it. Throughout the following scene, she stays in the doorway, sometimes tilting her head back toward the inside, listening. When she does that, Smak & Jelly fall instantly silent.
Listener stares at John, then looks at Smak & Jelly, which starts them up.)
SMAK Hey Listener. We found this—
JELLY Found it.
LISTENER What is it?
JELLY Don’t know—
SMAK Don’t know what is.
LISTENER So? Take to Namer.
SMAK Asked for you, Listener—
JELLY Kept asking for you—
SMAK Don’t know what it is but—
JELLY Kept asking for Listener.
JOHN Listen, this is totally unnecessary, if you’ll just listen to me—
JELLY Ooh! Hear that?
SMAK Hear that, there it go, listen, listen—
JELLY Hear that?
SMAK What is it, Listener?
JELLY What the frug it is, Li—?
(Listener tilts her head back inside to listen and Smak & Jelly instantly fall silent, but John comes right in:)
JOHN (to Listener) I’m sorry, are you—
SMAK & JELLY (short sharp shush) SH!
(Listener listens briefly to the Machine, then turns her attention back and looks at John. He stammers slightly, a little agitated from his rough treatment. He leaves room for her to respond but she doesn’t speak, which is confusing to him.)
JOHN Are you the, are you the leader here? Is that why they…
I need to talk to someone in, someone in charge, the person, your top— I’m here to—
I’ve come to survey you, I’ve been sent to ascertain the state of affairs here, to see how many of the unfit have survived, I’m in advance of a larger mission, depending on my report.
I just want to talk to you.
JOHN cont’d Are you, I’m sorry, are you, is there someone I should be talking to, someone…
LISTENER Come from where? JOHN What?
LISTENER Come from where, sent from where?
JOHN Oh. From the Office of Historic-Archeological Investigations, Department of Old Earth, in New Wash, S. of T. Uh, Sea of Tranquility.
JELLY What’s it saying?
SMAK What’s that?
JELLY Where he say?
SMAK What the frug?
(Listener gestures for silence, without taking her eyes off John.)
LISTENER (to John) What’s all that?
JOHN I don’t know how to—what do you mean?
LISTENER Office, ‘partment, Tranquil. Where’s all that?
JOHN Well, you know. Nerth.
New Earth, you know.
The moon? Used to be called The Moon?
(Slight pause as Smak and Jelly inhale, then burst out:) SMAK FRUG!
JELLY SCREEPIN’ FRUG!
SMAK It’s a Lunie!
JELLY It’s a screepin’ Lunatic!
SMAK That’s why its face is so—
JELLY That’s why it’s so—
SMAK It’s a screepin demon Lunie son of —
JELLY Frug sake who takes that literally, I thought it was screepin metaphor—
SMAK Meta-frug, there it is, that real enough?
JELLY A fruggin demon Lunie!
SMAK I knew they was something up there—
JELLY You didn’t—
SMAK I did I said so, could see lights moving, how they move if something don’t move it—
JELLY Just moon lights don’t mean anything—
(Listener tilts her head back to listen inside again, and again Smak & Jelly fall silent.)
JOHN If you’ll just let me—
SMAK & JELLY SH.
(After a moment Listener turns her attention back to John.)
LISTENER Are you telling truth? You come here, from there? What, are you Lunatic?
JOHN Well, I, yes, I came from there. From N—from The Moon. But I’m not crazy.
LISTENER Who said crazy?
JOHN You did, you called me a lunatic.
LISTENER Lunatic is name for creature from moon.
JOHN Oh. Oh I get it. But I’m not a creature, you know.
Don’t you know?
Don’t you know about how we changed the moon, settled it, to escape? It’s been a long time, but don’t you know the history of it?
LISTENER Who’s we? Who changed and settled?
JOHN People. You know, humans.
LISTENER You? You’re human?
JOHN Yes.
(Listener pauses. Then moves to remove his mask. He recoils. During the following he protests as Listener gestures for the Finders to hold him, and removes his mask.)
JOHN (cont’d) No, no—No! I need this, I need this, your air is poison, don’t, don’t… (He falls silent at his face is revealed, breathes fearfully as they stare at him.)
LISTENER Human. Looks like. Where’d you come from? Why’re you telling stories?
JOHN I’m not, I’m telling you the truth, please give me back my mask, I don’t want to breathe this shit, you think I want to die at 40 like you fucking savages— No, listen, I’m sorry, I’m just upset, just please give me back my mask, the air down here is carcinogenic.
LISTENER Carcino—?
JOHN It’s poisonous, it’s still contaminated, it’ll be what, another thousand years before—Listen, I’m not a danger to you, you can let me go, I came here to talk to you.
LISTENER How long you live? On the moon?
JOHN Average life expectancy is 195 years.
(Smak and Jelly exchange a look, as John and Listener continue to regard each other.)
SMAK Man, this Lunie frugged.
JELLY Let’s bring it to the Jimmies, see what they can do with it.
SMAK Hah, hah, see they can find some use.
JELLY Frug that screep, lets us find some use.
SMAK Urgh, you tweaked! JELLY Nuh, it’s not so urgh, I’d jimmy it.
SMAK Urgh, you screepin tweaked!
(Listener again listens to inside the House and they fall silent. John this time knows not to speak, though he doesn’t know why. Listener turns back and looks at John. She makes a gesture that invites him to speak. Her silent attention makes him uneasy, leads him to talk more and more. Some of this is pat, what he learned in school.)
JOHN You really don’t know?
Do you want me to, should I, uh..?
It was, uh, three generations ago? Well, more, for you. The earth became uninhabitable. And so global resources went toward terraforming the moon, creating an atmosphere, artificial gravity. Some factions, I guess, argued in favor of putting all that effort and money into repairing the damage done to the earth’s ecosystem, but that would have entailed changing basic lifestyle behaviors, and it was felt that given human nature, it was more logical to just start over…
And the population was already depleted from its early-21st century peak, after the Great Pandemic of [year after current year; ie, 2008], and all the other disasters, the super-acid rains, the planet-wide atmospheric brown-outs, the famines and droughts, wars and mass terror attacks bio and nuclear, on top of the series of cataclysmic earth events—tsunamis and quakes and storms and floods. And the, you know, the Warming. So they went. My—our ancestors. Everyone. Almost everyone. Everyone but a few too stubborn, or too stupid, or, or… Or the unfit.
That’s why I’m here. There are some people, especially in my department, who think it was criminal to have left anyone behind. We knew there were descendents, we’ve studied the sims, plus what little hard data has been collected. Not pretty. De-evolution. Low birth rates, high rates of cancer, especially; very low average life spans, very poor quality of life. Primitive, anarchic social arrangements. So, that’s what we expect to find….
So I’m, I’m here to make contact, make a report, do a field census, find out how many of you there are, what sort of state you’re in, what kind of arrangements would have to be made for your well-being, your placement, what degree of quarantine would be….
You’re dying out. Do you understand? We’re sorry we left you. Some of us are. We’ve won the point, we’ve gotten the funds allocated. We’re going to bring you home. Bring you to Nerth.
JOHN cont’d. It’s better up there. You can’t imagine. There are comforts, conveniences, entertainments. It’s not perfect, I guess. There are some who think—Well, maybe we haven’t learned from the past. That’s my personal view, actually. The fact that the Agency is already well into the planning stage for the next move…. Some say it’s our manifest destiny to leave a trail of junk worlds in our wake, and that’s just fine… It’s a big universe, after all… Anyway. That’s not, that’s not…
Listen. Are you in charge? Is that why they brought me to you? Or is there someone else I should be talking to? This is a big day for you guys. You’re being, this is a rescue. Do you understand me?
(Pause.)
LISTENER How did you come here?
JOHN How did I… Oh, my ship. Well, just a boat, really. (a small joke. Doesn’t get a laugh) It’s small. A small space-worthy vehicle.
LISTENER You came alone?
JOHN Yes…
LISTENER You see this vehicle?
JELLY Nup—
SMAK Just him—
JELLY But we can find it—
SMAK Frug yeah, we can find it.
LISTENER Find it. Take it apart. Bring the parts to Namer. Find use for them.
JOHN What? No, no, what are you—No, no, you can’t, wait, listen—
JELLY How about him?
LISTENER Take him too. Keep him, don’t let him loose. Find use for him.
JELLY YOW!
SMAK Come on, Lunie,* let’s go.
JELLY Let’s go, Lunie, let’s make you useful.
(They drag John off as he shouts back at Listener.)
JOHN *overlapping Wait, no, listen, you don’t understand, listen to me, this is a mistake, you’ve got to listen to me, I’m here to help you, listen!
(They’re gone. It’s quiet again. Listener goes inside, sits again, is perfectly still for the time it takes to breath in and out slowly, once. Then she speaks into the microphone, as before:)
LISTENER Calling anyone repeat anyone is anyone out there this is Junk City calling repeat this is Junk City do you read me repeat do you read me come in please repeat come in please over.
(She is silent and still again, listening, for a three-breath.)
Calling anyone repeat anyone is anyone out there this is Junk City calling repeat this is Junk City do you read me repeat do you read me come in please repeat come in please over.
(She is silent and still again, listening, for the time it takes to breath in and out slowly once. Light fades on her, rises on NAMER, in the place of Naming, which is densely adorned with nailed-up CDs & DVDs, and other detritus of extinct technology.)
NAMER Dirt, I can name you. Sky. Cloud. Sun. I name you. Chest, ribs, heart, I name you. Old things, known things, I know their names. New found things, I divine their names, I bring their names forth. I can name the unnamable, the never named, the once-named and long forgotten, I can name the most darksome mystery that all else quail from speechless. But I cannot name…but I cannot name this…augh! in me. I can name around it—it is sharp, it is biting, it is restless, it is relentless—but I cannot come at its true name. If I could dig it forth, hold it in my palm, if I could see it clearly, I could name it. But it’s locked in darkness, like its name. Unless its name is… (whispers with his hands over his mouth; we can’t hear the name. Then speaks again.) That was your name before you were Listener, and only I remember now. And I will never speak it.
(Smak & Jelly enter. Maybe one of them is wearing John’s mask backwards as a hat. John stumbles trailing behind them at the end of a rope, still gagged and tied. He is much more disheveled, his clothes disordered, and sinks to the ground when they stop.)
SMAK Hey, Namer.
JELLY Hey, Namer.
(They begin pulling objects out of their pockets or bags. Namer is staring at John. He wants to ask what it is, but that’s beneath his dignity.)
JELLY cont’d. Finduhs creepers,
SMAK Lose no weepers,
JELLY Found and ready for naming!
(They’ve lined up or piled up the objects in front of Namer. Tearing his eyes off John, he dutifully picks up the first thing, a CD. There is something lightly ritualistic about this process, a prescribed pattern of words.)
NAMER This is known, it is a relic, an Eye of Tek. Namer will keep to adorn the place of Naming.
SMAK (murmuring routinely) Eye of Tek.
(Namer glances irresistibly at John, back to objects. Picks up the next thing, a bundle of two-by-fours.)
NAMER This is known, it is good Junk, its name is lum-bar, give to the Jimmies to find use.
JELLY (taking the wood, murmuring) Lum-bar.
(Namer picks up the next thing, a rectangular double-d battery.)
NAMER This is known, it is a juice-box. It is dangerous, it leaks. Take it to bury. But treat it with respect. It is a sacred relic.
(Smak is taking the battery when Jelly speaks up.)
JELLY Hey, Namer. Why Sam leave us dangerous relics?
SMAK Jelly!
JELLY Just wondering, how’s that make screepin sense?
NAMER Sam works in mysterious ways. Do not you presume to penetrate the intentions of Sam.
(Slight pause. Jelly is abashed. Then Smak puts away the battery, carefully.)
SMAK (murmuring pointedly) Juice box.
(Namer picks up the thing that Smak & Jelly were looking at in the first scene. It’s a metal garlic press. It’s new to Namer. He examines it. Hefts it, feeling the weight. Opens and closes it, observes how it moves. Runs his fingers over its surfaces. Smells it carefully, maybe detecting a faint remnant of garlic scent. Uses it as a mallet, lightly tapping his palm. Maybe puts some small thing—a scrap of cloth, say, or a leaf—into it and sees how it is pressed through the tiny holes. Smak & Jelly are watching as alertly as dogs watching someone handling a bone. Finally:)
NAMER This is a new find. (Smak & Jelly inhale sharply.) You may claim a new find.
SMAK & JELLY YEEE-OWW!!!
JELLY Thanks, Namer!
SMAK Screepin crool!
JELLY No tweak, yow!
SMAK But what’s it, Namer?
NAMER It is… a small… prink. For its use, let the Jimmies say. But it is safe and useful Junk.
(Smak and Jelly put it away, immensely proud.)
SMAK & JELLY (murmuring) Prink, prink, prink…
(They look at each other and bounce slightly, wanting to celebrate more but inhibited by Namer’s presence. Namer at last feels free to gesture at John.)
NAMER And this? Do you bring me this to be named?
JELLY This? No, this got a name. It’s a john.
SMAK It’s a Lunie—
JELLY Lunie john—
SMAK John the Lunie—
JELLY It named itself—
SMAK When Listener asked it—
JELLY It came right out and named itself—
SMAK But we got its vehicle—
JELLY Yeah, we got its boat—
SMAK Too big to carry, we still gotta take it apart—
JELLY We bring you the pieces later—
NAMER (re John) You brought this to Listener?
SMAK It came askin for her—
JELLY Askin for Listener—
SMAK So we brought it to her—
JELLY And she gave it to us, said—
SMAK Said we could use it—
JELLY And we using it, huh Lunie?
SMAK Frug, yeah.
NAMER Can it speak?
JELLY Can it speak?
SMAK Why you think we got it muzzled?
JELLY Lunie never shut up!
(John has been looking Namer in the eye.)
NAMER Finders Smak and Jelly. Will you leave this with me a little while?
JELLY It’s already named, Namer.
NAMER It may have another truer name. Things can sometimes lie. Things can sometimes give up false names. Leave it just a little while with me.
SMAK Huh, yeah, Lunie may have give up a false name, screep.
JELLY Could be, sure, sure, Namer, you keep it a while. We come back for it later.
SMAK We come get you later, Lunie, yeah.
JELLY (exiting, to Smak) Prink, prink, prink, hey Smak!
SMAK (exiting, to Jelly) Fruggin new found prink!
SMAK & JELLY (almost or entirely off) YOW!
(They’re gone. Namer looks at John. Gestures for him to stand. Walks around him, examines his clothing. Finally ungags him.)
JOHN Oh, thank you, OK, listen, are you in charge here, can I talk to you, can you, will you let me explain, I’m—my name is John, I’m from—Oh, fuck, I don’t know if I should trust you but you’ve got to listen to me—
NAMER I’m not Listener. She has already listened to you. I am Namer. I name. JOHN Yes…so I saw. But…I already have a name.
NAMER We’ll see.
What did you tell Listener?
(Lights shift to Listener. She is still for a moment, listening. But she is unusually restless. She lies down on her little bed or pallet, but almost immediately gets up again. She goes to the door and looks out. She goes back and sits by the machine, listening. She gets up and paces around, sits again to the machine.)
LISTENER Calling anyone repeat anyone is anyone out there this is Junk City calling repeat this is Junk City do you read me repeat do you read me come in please repeat come in please repeat come in please over. (Pause. Still into the machine, but not rote:) Are you listening? Can you hear and can’t answer? Am I only voice with no meaning? I ride sound waves, fly unseen forever, voice goes out into wilderness where I never follow, never will. It’s enough, calling is enough, what I’m for. No reason to ever expect answer. No right to expect, arrogance to think I’d be the one to hear… But I’ll whisper only to you, unseen one, if you exist: I want to be the one. I want to hear your voice. I want to be the Listener who hears.
(Outside, Jelly enters, carrying a small container. She puts it down on Listener’s doorstep, starts to leave. Listener hears the tiny sound, instantly goes to the door and opens it.)
LISTENER Finder.
(Jelly stops and turns around.)
JELLY Yuh, Listener?
(Listener hesitates. Jelly refers to what she left for her.)
Jimmy Crunk made that. Best baker Jimmy in city. It’ll be good, no tweak.
LISTENER Where is the Lunatic?
JELLY Namer got it.
LISTENER Namer? It is already named.
JELLY Namer think maybe it’s a false name. Namer’s lookin’ into it.
LISTENER Oh.
Bring it back to me.
When Namer’s done.
I will listen to it again.
I listened hastily last time.
Bring it back.
JELLY (starting to go) Oky, Listener.
LISTENER Thank you, Jelly.
(Jelly stops, looks back. That was a little unusual, and unnecessary.)
JELLY Oky, Listener.
(Jelly exits. Listener sits back to the machine, listening. She hears something a little bit off in the normal workings of the machine. She opens a panel, examines something inside the machine. She pulls out a box of tools and begins to work on the machine. Lights down on her, up on Namer and John. John is still bound.)
JOHN So, I know, I guess, this is hard for you to understand—I’m sure this is just sort of mind-blowing—but you have to try to believe me, it’s incredibly important that you accept certain facts—
NAMER You are in terrible ignorance. Do you not know the True Story?
JOHN The true story? But I just told you—
NAMER I have heard you. Do not repeat your evil tale. I will tell you the True Story. Listen for once. Be rescued yourself.
JOHN Maybe you didn’t understand—let me try again to explain—I’m here to help you—Hey, no, wait, I’ll— (be quiet)
(Namer replaces his gag. If John is not already sitting, Namer helps him firmly down to sitting or kneeling.)
NAMER In the beginning was the Tek and Sam saw that it was good. Sam the Uncle made the Tek to help the people. Ones and zeros created He Tek, and it was good.
The first people dwelt in the Mall of Us, which was a great temple, filled with gardens, and with everything the people needed. And in the center of the Mall was the tree of knowledge, heavy with fruit.
And Sam the Uncle said, do not eat of that fruit, for I have given you everything you need, and you are to be happy and innocent and grateful, and live amid my bounty, and enjoy all the happiness of my Mall.
But there came to be some who were not content, and they were restless and curious. Sam forbade questions. But doubt had been planted.
And so it was one day that a woman named Eve, one of the doubters, went secretly to the Tree of Knowledge. And daring mightily she ate of the fruit.
And then her eyes were opened, and she knew the truth of good and evil, and understood the secrets of Tek. And she brought the fruit to others of the doubters and they ate of the fruit, and their eyes were opened too. And they turned from Sam and hid themselves.
But He found them out, for Sam is always listening. And He cast out all the people from the Mall and locked its doors forever.
And the people went forth into the land without Tek and they suffered. Sam in his anger made great storms to come upon the earth.
From the North He caused great cold to bury the people in ice. From the South He caused great floods to bury the people in water. From the West He caused great bolts of lightening to bury the people in fire. From the East He caused great quakes to bury the people in mud.
NAMER cont’d The children of Eve knew that Sam would never stop smiting them. So with their forbidden Tek they built a giant sled of metal, and it was called the Cadillac. And all the children of Eve got into the Cadillac and fled the earth.
They flew to the moon, and there they lived, but outside of the wisdom of Sam they fell from grace, and became unhuman, and were lunatics, mad demonic pitiable wicked creatures.
But the Sons of Sam stayed, scattered across the earth, and they prayed to Sam saying, forgive us, Uncle, relent, for we are your faithful ones. And Sam relented, and forgave the people, and peace came upon the land.
And Sam gave to the people the mighty Junk of the ancient times, to live upon and use, and so that His terrible destructive wrath might be always remembered.
And as a sign that His mighty anger had passed, He left his gifts, the relics of divine Tek. But He forbade the people the sin of pride, and so they were forbidden to usurp the role of Sam and make new tek, lest the terrible storms return.
And that is the will of Sam.
(Pause.)
Well? Did you hear?
(John nods.)
What do you have to say?
(Namer un-gags him. John hesitates.)
JOHN Well, that was… a fascinating, uh, mytho-historic reconstruction of events—very impressive in its way, a really interesting metaphorical narrative—but essentially false. You’ll understand when you come* to Nerth—
NAMER *overlapping Quiet.
You are a child of Eve. That is not in question. Your story confirms it.
JOHN Well, I, sure, you could say, viewed through your, your viewpoint, but no, but that’s not what I’m—
NAMER And so your name seems true. It is a name a child of Eve might have. You are a John.
JOHN Well, John, not a John, if that makes a—
NAMER (to himself really, working it out) The only question that remains is, are you useful junk, or are you sacred relic? Listener chose to consider you Junk, and give you to be used. It is not for the Listener to name a thing, but you are unusual in every way. You are new, you upset order, it is not her fault.
JOHN Wait a minute, please, I need to point out. How can I be either junk or, or a relic? Can’t you see that I’m human?
NAMER Jimmy can carve the image of a dog out of lumbar. It is still lumbar. It is not a dog. You are a child of Eve. The children of Eve are no longer human. You are not human.
Never before has a child of Eve appeared among us, since they fled the earth. You say you came down from the moon, you say you chose to come, but I have no way of knowing if that is true. You may have been thrown out of the Moon for some reason. Or Sam may have sent you to test us, or to reward us. All I do know is that Sam gives us many gifts. Whatever we find, all that we find, are Sam’s gifts to us. These are of two kinds, Junk, which is useful, and Relic, which is sacred. I am inclined to agree with Listener. How can a child of Eve be sacred? You are junk, and may be freely used.
JOHN But, but, how can I prove to you that I’m—
NAMER I do not need to hear more from you on this point. There is another point…there is another part of your story…
JOHN Yes?
NAMER You say, you claim, you claim you have looked upon the earth from your lunar exile.
JOHN Yes, sure, we’ve made observations—
NAMER And you have seen only us? Or have you seen any of the other Sons of Sam? In all the earth, have you seen any others?
JOHN No. No, we haven’t found any other survivors, any other, uh, sons of sam.
I mean, that’s not necessarily definitive, without technology there are certain absent signatures, and taking into account terrain features, forest cover for example, that could obscure findings—
NAMER You have seen only us, only Junk City, yes or no?
JOHN Well, OK, yes.
NAMER We are alone. We are alone.
JOHN Well, again, that’s not—
NAMER Do not speak of this to anyone else. I am Namer. I can say that you are in question, and that only by examining you from the inside can I know your true name. No one would stop me from cutting you open. Do you understand me?
JOHN You’re saying, you could kill me.
NAMER Yes. So fear me, and do as I say. Tell nobody else your demon story.
JOHN All right.
NAMER Answer me by name, junk. Do you understand me?
JOHN (slight pause) Yes, Namer.
(Smak and Jelly enter.)
JELLY Done with it, Namer?
NAMER You may take it for now. But don’t let it loose, and do not give it to the Jimmies. I may need to examine it again, after I have considered.
(Smak and Jelly exchange a glance.)
SMAK Can we use it meantime?
NAMER Yes, yes, do whatever you want with it. But keep it alive.
JELLY Oh, sure, screep yeah.
SMAK No fruggin’ fun if it’s dead!
(Namer exits.)
JELLY Screep, this lunie got everybody’s balls rattled.
SMAK No tweak. (to John) Trouble-making demon, aren’t ya?
JOHN All right, listen, you two, once again, I am not a demon, I am a person, and you have got to start treating me like one. How would you like if—No, damn it, wait—
(Jelly and Smak have exchanged a look, and replaced John’s gag.)
SMAK I don’t care what it is, I just wish it would shut the frug up.
JELLY Come on. Listener wants it back.
SMAK Popular lunie. When we gonna have time to use it?
JELLY Maybe we take our time on the way over…
SMAK Yow, yuh, Jelly, you no dope.
(They start to exit, pulling John behind them, but he resists. They look at him, surprised. He makes a humble, imploring gesture, as best he can.)
SMAK (cont’d.) Huh.
JELLY Huh.
SMAK It want something.
JELLY What you s’pose it want?
SMAK Probably wants to yap some more.
JELLY Yuh.
(They look at him, considering, then shrug and turn to drag him off again. He resists again, again implores.)
SMAK Huh.
JELLY Screep.
SMAK It really want to yap.
JELLY Well, what the frug, maybe it thought of something new.
SMAK Oky, but if it don’t start making sense (pointedly to John) there be trouble.
(They ungag John, look at him expectantly. He hesitates, looking for the right words.)
JOHN What are your names?
(Smak scoffs and goes to re-gag him. Jelly stops him.)
JELLY Nuh, that sensible. Jelly. Smak.
JOHN I’m John.
SMAK Dank, that not news, it stupefied.
JOHN Please, I just want to understand, I want to understand…Junk City. And, and how you live here. Your customs. And how, and how to convince you to see me as, as. Not a demon.
JELLY It want a lot.
JOHN He.
SMAK Huh?
JOHN He wants a lot. I’m not…not an it.
(Smak and Jelly exchange a look.)
JELLY Oh, I get it.
SMAK What you think?
JELLY Well, it get promoted, fun’s over.
SMAK Dank, yeah.
JELLY (to John) Look, lunie, journey’s still out on your what-you-call, stats. Not for us to say, oky?
SMAK Namer and or Listener, they’ll jimmy it out—
JELLY So settle down—
SMAK And we’ll have some more fun.
JOHN Well, you know, it’s not so much fun. For, for me.
SMAK Oh, complaining? Could be much, much rougher, john.
JELLY Oh, lighten, it don’t mean harm. Hey, john, you want to be one of us? That your big idea? Want to be a real junk city boy?
JOHN Uh… yes.
JELLY Who your dema-gog?
JOHN My...? Oh, uh, oh. I don’t have…
SMAK See? It don’t even! Demon, demon lunie for sure.
JELLY Well, give it a chance, they don’t know anything up there. We could teach it.
SMAK (sulky) Listener’s waiting.
JELLY Won’t take long. Oky, lunie. You want to know customs?
JOHN Yes. Thank you.
SMAK Oh, so polite all a sudden. Watch it, Jel, it up to something.
JELLY (ignoring Smak) Oky lun. Everybody got a goggling on they side. Not talking about Sam the Uncle, he the big man, he for everybody. But the others help out day to day, get it?
JOHN Uh, yes, I understand, I think…
JELLY Only don’t talk about them to Namer, ‘cause they, like, unofficial. He say, Sam all we need, Sam the only lonely gog they is, no Sam but Sam, yappa yappa. But everybody know you need the others, just don’t yap about it, got it?
(John nods.)
So, like, first there’s Okra. She the gog a wisdom an bounty, big time. Wife a Sam, some say more powerful even, mother all the other gogs. Everybody love Okra. Lot of Finduhs got her on they side, cause she give the best Junk, you bet.
SMAK Yuh, everybody love Okra.
JELLY And there Thump, dema-gog a building. Jimmies dig him. He not my favorite. He stuck up, you don’t jimmy way he like, he get mad, fire shoot out his fingertips. (She makes a fingers-together darting gesture, as Thump:) Yo, FIRE.
SMAK Yeah, oky, and then there My Donna, goggess of fec-fec-fecund-ditty.
(Smak & Jelly begin to dance around sexily.)
JELLY She always young, she dance, she sing—
SMAK She bring fu-uh-uh-un!
JELLY No matter how many times she comes—
SMAK She always always—
JELLY & SMAK Like a virgin, huh huh for the merry first time!
JELLY And her little sister—
SMAK No, she the same, she version one point one—
JELLY Oky, whichever, she called Brinny—
SMAK And she carry a spear—
JELLY Show the sharp side of fun—
SMAK Brinny is fickle—
JELLY Brinny will leave you empty—
SMAK And sick—
JELLY Yeah, so watch out.
SMAK And My Donna-Brinny the sister of the first son of Sam, goggling El Vis.
JELLY Oh, El Visto the Christo.
SMAK He walked among us—
JELLY He walked the roads of Junk City—
SMAK He sang an sang a gimme an heartcrack—
JELLY He too sad to live—
SMAK He died, he was harvested to Sam—
JELLY But he come back, he come back and back—
SMAK Never know—
JELLY Yuh never know when yuh gone see visage of El Vis—
SMAK You’ll see, we got the El Visto festo, every year—
JELLY Jimmies build a great big El out of the best burnable junk—
SMAK And we burn it up and we dance—
JELLY And we sing—
SMAK And we yell—
SMAK & JELLY (singing) SEE YOU WHEN YOU COME BACK EL WE SEE YOU NEXT TIME YOU AINT NOTHIN BUT A NOTHIN BUT A NOTHIN BUT A BREAKIN MY HEART AGAIN
SMAK That a great party.
JELLY You’ll see, Lunie, if you still here.
JOHN If I’m still here?
Where else would I be?
Where else would I be? You dismantled my ship. I can’t go home. So where else would I be? Is there something you—wait, tell me— (Jelly has shrugged at Smak, and he replaces the gag. They exit in silence, pulling John.
NAMER enters, outside Listener’s House. He rubs on the door briefly with something, maybe his sleeve; it makes a barely audible whisper. Listener hears it. They are both still for a moment. He backs away a bit. She opens the door, surprised to see him, stands in the doorway.)
LISTENER Namer?
NAMER I want to see you. I want to talk to you.
LISTENER To me? I’m Listener.
NAMER I know.
LISTENER You’re Namer.
NAMER I know.
LISTENER So? (Pause. Listener starts to go back in.)
NAMER Wait.
The new thing. The Lunatic.
LISTENER You saw it?
NAMER Yes. Yes. I have confirmed its name. It is a Child of Eve, and, now that it has fallen back to Earth, useful Junk.
LISTENER What I thought.
(Pause. Listener starts to go back in.) NAMER Wait.
LISTENER Say what you came to say.
NAMER Let me come in.
(Brief shocked pause.)
Let me come in.
LISTENER You? Come in? Come in here?
No one comes into Listener’s House. No one. Ever. No one but Listener.
NAMER Before you were Listener—
LISTENER We were hatchlings.
NAMER (almost continuous) —you had another name—
LISTENER DO NOT.
(This is the loudest she’s spoken. They’re both startled. She instinctively half-turns, listening to the Machine, which is silent. Namer waits, still, while she listens. She turns back to him.)
I’m not yours to Name. Go partner up with a nice cooking Jimmy. I’m Listener.
NAMER Then listen to me.
LISTENER Got bigger listening to do.
(She starts to go again.)
NAMER What if you’re Listening for nothing?
(Slight pause. This is huge.)
NAMER cont’d What if, what if there are no lost Sons of Sam? What if we are all there is? What if we’re alone?
LISTENER Do you know *what you’re—
NAMER (*overlapping) What if you are listening for nothing, what if you are wasting your *life?
LISTENER (*overlapping) Stop! You don’t believe that.
NAMER The John said* they saw no—
LISTENER (*overlapping) Believing Lunatics now? Who knows why it says anything?
NAMER What it said could be true. It sounds true. I could name it true. Then it would be a new truth, a new order, * better than before.
LISTENER (*overlapping) You could be cast out for this. Into the wilderness. Die alone. You know that. Anyone interferes with the Listening. I can out-cast.
NAMER Not Namer.
LISTENER Anyone.
NAMER You wouldn’t.
LISTENER Don’t make me.
(Tense pause. She is furious.)
You’re Namer, act like it, go, go, don’t come here, I won’t listen to you again, go.
(She goes back inside, closes the door. Namer stands tensely for a moment, then exits. At the end of Listener’s speech the lights fade, so she speaks the last words in the dark.)
LISTENER Calling anyone repeat anyone is anyone out there this is Junk City calling repeat this is Junk City do you read me repeat do you read me come in please repeat come in please repeat come in please over.
For your reply, I would do anything. Would give my life. Have given it. Nothing I wouldn’t give or do. But is that true? Would I anything? There is something… But. But I would have to do what no Listener has done, would have to risk everything, everything every Listener ever lived for, and end of hope, if I failed, end of future, and to never never hear your voice. How can I dare? But how can I not? What should I do? O, tell me, tell me. What should I do. End Of Part One (No intermission, probably) CONTINUED IN NEXT ISSUE
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