Sergio De La Pava - Personae

NESTOR: He’s coming back, something’s in his hand. I think it’s a scepter.

CLARISSA: ( derisively ) A scepter? Obviously it’s a spear.

NESTOR: Spear? Where’d you get that?

CLARISSA: I got that from his statement that he was going to get a spear, a spear to protect us with. In other words he was telling the truth.

LINDA: Exactly.

NESTOR: I don’t like it. I don’t like the look in his eye, I don’t like this new drum pattern, I don’t like any of it.

LINDA: Will you stop? Your paranoia is really wearing.

NESTOR: I’m only wearing paranoia if I’m wrong, ( he takes hold of the gun and cocks it ) and I’m not going to wait and find out.

CLARISSA: What do you mean?

NESTOR: I mean that he walks in here with a scepter or a spear, basically anything other than a giant salami, and I’m going to put one between his eyes and we can sort it all out later.

CLARISSA: Absolutely not! Have you lost control of your faculties?

NESTOR: What? I should wait until he impales one of you to be absolutely sure?

LINDA: You need more… evidence.

NESTOR: Could it be more evident?

CLARISSA: He said he was going to get a spear and that he would return. If he returns and is carrying a spear where’s the inconsistency? Where’s the justification for shooting him?

NESTOR: How do you justify speaking of justification in a place like this?

CLARISSA: This place is what we’ve made it, only that, and the Just don’t frivolously conform to location.

LINDA: And if you think this place is bad now realize that if you capriciously spill blood onto it then this becomes a bloody place. One that won’t stop crying out for more of what it’s tasted until it becomes an unquenchable want.

NESTOR: The memories on you two, remarkable.

( He goes to the telescope. )

He’s almost here, still can’t tell between scepter or spear. You two can continue to rely on theoretical debate and its retorts, I’m going to keep my faith in gunpowder plus lead and its reports.

CLARISSA: That’s just it. It’s not theoretical. We’re telling you that we’re not going to allow you to kill one of our friends as he’s in the process of trying to rescue us. How much blunter can we be?

NESTOR: Don’t make this a we problem Clarissa, ( raising the gun slightly ) this thing’s for between Adam’s eyes only but I will torch this entire place before naively receiving even a minor burn from him.

CLARISSA: Any bullet seeking him will of necessity have to travel through me.

( She stands between Nestor and the area Adam exited from. Nestor lowers the gun to his side. The Drums resume, they are close. Nestor raises the gun again. )

NESTOR: If that’s the only course it can travel so be it.

LINDA: Stop! Wait will you? ( she moves between them ) I’m going to go out and meet him.

NESTOR: Don’t do that.

LINDA: I know him best. I’ll bring up your concerns, our concerns , feel him out. If everything’s fine we’ll come back together, if not we’ll know that as well and you’ll have the satisfaction of having been right to enjoy in your final moments.

NESTOR: I can’t allow that.

LINDA: It’s almost lovely of you Nestor to think you have the power to allow or disallow.

NESTOR: Listen don’t get insulted and storm off or anything but I see fear when I look at your face.

LINDA: Insulted? By a compliment to my powers of perception?

NESTOR: So don’t go then.

LINDA: Can’t see how one follows from the other.

( Nestor looks to Clarissa. )

CLARISSA: He’s actually right in the sense that it’s a needless risk. Anything we need to discover of his intentions we can ascertain here, together and armed.

LINDA: I don’t trust him. ( gestures at Nestor )

NESTOR: Stay and I won’t harm him, I promise, until we’re sure.

LINDA: Not surety enough I’m afraid.

CLARISSA: You just admitted to fear.

LINDA: But also to not understanding your link between that and a consequent inaction.

( Nestor somewhat raises the gun at Linda. )

NESTOR: Well there’s no time to explain but you’re staying.

LINDA: If I’m right you can explain it to me later and if I leave in error you’ll need to conserve as much breath as possible. Either way put that thing down as I’m not sure all our troubles aren’t directly traceable to it.

( She leaves. Nestor drops to a sitting position on the floor. He looks at his hands, one of which continues to hold the gun. )

NESTOR: Think I see her blood on them already. See it?

( He shows Clarissa his palms. )

Why bother to plan with Chaos as partner? See the blood?

( Shows her his palms again then places the nose of the gun under his chin as his hand trembles. )

CLARISSA: Don’t.

NESTOR: Do you find the question difficult? Just look at my hands and tell me if they’re awash with Linda’s blood.

CLARISSA: I’m not sure, only you can tell for sure.

NESTOR: I know why you can’t tell.

( He removes the gun from his chin and points it at Clarissa. )

I see now that you wanted her to go.

( A mournful sigh, barely audible, is heard from outside. )

CLARISSA: What was that?

( She runs over to the telescope and looks through it while Nestor remains seated but follows her with the gun. )

I see nothing!

NESTOR: What does Nothing look like? Is it as terrible as it sounds?

CLARISSA: There’s nothing there, complete blackness.

( She begins to walk toward Nestor. )

Were I you I’d start thinking of a really compelling explanation because I am all but out of patience.

NESTOR: Don’t crowd me Clarissa.

( He raises the gun at her. )

CLARISSA: I’m sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?

( She quickly grabs his wrist, swings to his side like a matador, bends said wrist into what appears to be an excruciatingly painful position, and removes the gun which she now puts to his head.)

NESTOR: Take it easy.

CLARISSA: Not in the mood for ease. Explain what I see when I look through that thing!

NESTOR: How can I? Ignorant as I am of what you saw has you so worked up.

CLARISSA: I just told you. But see for yourself and feign surprise if you must.

( She pushes him via the gun to the telescope. )

NESTOR: I don’t see blackness.

CLARISSA: What are you talking about?

( She presses the gun to his temple. )

NESTOR: That’s emptiness, not blackness.

CLARISSA: Not so interested in what you’d call it as in how you explain it!

NESTOR: Explain emptiness? How it suffuses everything yet still retains the patina of a long-held secret recently spilled? If I could explain all that would I really be subjugated at the end of a gun right now?

CLARISSA: You said you saw things, described them in grim detail. You cost us Linda by saying those things! When you wonder shortly at the bullet lodged in your skull you can credit your homicidal artifice.

NESTOR: There was none. I reported what I saw, no different than you just did. I’m no more responsible for the content of those visions than a camera.

CLARISSA: Then where are they?

NESTOR: You attribute all sorts of special knowledge to me as if I weren’t just fellow passenger but somehow the driver.

CLARISSA: Good then. Since you’re of no use to me except as irritant incapable of being suffered I’m going to toss you out into that black absence like a human trial balloon and see if I can learn something.

NESTOR: We’re all that’s left. Would you halve the world that you might better know it?