Act 1, Scene 6

[Living room.  George is asleep in his chair.  A rapping noise is heard.]

Carol:      (off stage) Someone's at the door, George.

[George wakes up confused.  Enter Carol.]

Carol:      There's someone at the door.  Honestly, George.  Sometimes you're such a mooncalf.

[Carol goes to the door.  Enter Eris, dressed like the witchy next door neighbor.]

Carol :     Eris!

Eris:       I hope you don't mind.  I saw your light on and I thought you might be up.  Might I borrow some sugar?

Carol:      Sure.  Come on in.  How much do you need?

Eris:       Just half a cup. 

George:     Covering up the taste of hemlock?

Carol:      George!

Eris:       I'm making chocolate chip cookies for my nephew.  My sister's coming by this afternoon. 

Carol:      Isn't that lovely?  I haven't seen her in weeks.  Why don't you all come over later and we can have some coffee?  Or maybe a little wine.

Eris:       Wine would be lovely.  She's bringing me some papers to sign, so maybe after that. 

Carol:      We could sit outside if it's nice. 

Eris:       Yes.  I'm surprised to see you up so early.

Carol:      George is having troubles sleeping.

Eris:       Bad dreams again?

George:     Yes.

Eris:       Did you ever talk to that therapist I recommended?

George:     No.

Eris:       You really should, you know. 

George:     I'm not going to see some new age quack.

Eris:       Dr. Willsmith is not a quack, George.  He's a professor of psychology at Thurman University and an excellent therapist.  He has helped a lot of people understand and cope with their dreams.  He helped me.

George:     I don't want to understand my dreams.  I just want them to go away.

Eris:       Dreams are the subconscious telling us about unfinished business.  They're our inner self reaching out, forcing us to face fears we have hidden away.  Your dreams won't go away until you faced your fears.

Carol:      He is dreaming that he's the President again.

Eris:       When we dream we are someone famous, especially someone like the President, we can be feeling inadequate, that we are not appreciated, that our talents are not being recognized.

Carol:      I appreciate you, George.

George:     Thanks, you two are a great help.

Eris:       How are things going at work, George?

George:     Just fine.  Look.  I'm just having some bad dreams.  Okay?  Happens to everybody.  Maybe there is some stress at work.  I've had to bust ass lately to make quota.  Doesn't mean I'm having problems.

Eris:       No.  Doesn't mean you're having problems.  Means you're probably having problems.  Would you like me to read your cards?

George:     No.  I don't want to participate in any of your new age bullshit.

Carol:      George, be nice.

Eris:       It's okay.  I get this all the time.  Tarot cards are just a tool to get you to open up and see your possibilities.  They're not magic, George, just a tool.

Carol:      It couldn't hurt, George.

George:     No.

Eris:       Well, I'm not going to push.  I usually charge a lot for a reading.  I would do one for you for free.

George:     No.

Carol:      It's free, George.  How often do you get something for free?

George:     No!  I do not want to have my cards read or my tea leaves or anything like that.  I don't care if it is free.  This isn't Wal-Mart.

Eris:       Well, I'm just offering that's all.  Maybe I should just get my sugar and go home.

Carol:      You know where everything is.  Help yourself.

[Exit Eris]

Carol:      She's just trying to help, George.

George:     I don't know how you tolerate that woman.  With all her hocus pocus witch craft shit.

Carol:      She's nice to us, George.  She stood by us when other families wouldn't.  She's a good friend.  She was there for me when I had nobody else.  I think you should at least be civil to her.  For my sake if nothing else.

George:     Well, she ...  just ...  comes over whenever she feels like it.

Carol:      I go over there whenever I want.  Our homes are open to each other.

George:     She comes over here to borrow stuff all the time.

Carol:      And I borrow from her.

George:     Yeah, like what, hemlock and dragon's bane?

Carol:      George, you're not being fair.  Eris is my friend.  Sometimes my only friend.  And lately I have had to depend on her because it seems like I can't depend on you.  If you can't be civil, you should just shut up.

[Exit Carol]

George:     Damn.

T.V. sound: ...the New York Stock Exchange announced today it is being purchased by a consortium of Chinese laundro-mats as part of a leveraged buy out...

[George clicks the remote]

T.V. sound: ...your confidential paternity test will be handled by Dr. Samuel Yonkers, Baby Doctor to the Starsª.  No one has a better record at proving in court that you are not the father...

[George clicks the remote]

T.V. sound: ...blamed on the insurgency. the blast was responsible for the deaths of two Marines from Newark.  Ironically, a Defense Department spokesman said that the insurgents had developed a new method of detonating road side bombs, utilizing a children's toy that Marines had been distributing throughout the region as part of a plan to gain the confidence of the local population...

George:     Damn.

 [Enter Eris.  She is carrying two cups of coffee.]

Eris:       George.

George:     What?

Eris:       I think we better talk.

George:     About what?

Eris:       Carol's very upset.  She says you have been acting different.  More distant.  Is there something going on?

George:     No, no, no.  There's nothing going on.

Eris:       She's afraid, George.  She's afraid it's happening again.

George:     What?

Eris:       You know.  What happened... when the two of you had... problems.

George:     There's nothing going on.  What happened is over.  Done with.  Won't happen again.

Eris:       I think these dreams are an indication there's a struggle going on inside you.  You need to deal with this, George, not wish it away.  If not for your sake, then for Carol's.

George:     What does she want me to do?

Eris:       She wants me to help you.  I helped her.  I helped her discover her feelings and learn to cope with her reality.  She wants me to help you do the same.

George:     Oh, I don't care. 

Eris:       You have to care, George.  Eventually you have to care.

George:     Whatever.  Let's get on with it.  What do you want?

Eris:       Tell me about the dreams.

George:     The dreams?  I dream I am the President of the United States.

Eris:       George W. Bush.

George:     Yes.

Eris:       What are you doing in these dreams?

George:     I'm on trial.

Eris:       For what?

George:     I don't know.  Well, I'm on trial for going to war, but that doesn't seem to be a crime.

Eris:       What you are on trial for is not a crime?

George:     To some people, I suppose.  In the dream I am on trial for starting a war, but there is no punishment for that.  Not for the President, anyway.

Eris:       I see.  Do you feel you should be punished?

George:     No.  Of course not.  I am not some kind of masochist.  Get real.

Eris:       Maybe you think you've done something wrong.

George:     I haven't done anything wrong.  I mean, the President hasn't done anything wrong.

Eris:       Some people think the invasion of Iraq was wrong.

George:     I'm not one of them.  I think the President was right.

Eris:       You think we should have invaded Iraq?

George:     Yeah.  I'm glad we kicked Saddam's butt.  He deserved it.

Eris:       Maybe your dream isn't about the war, but about something else.  Have you been angry with someone, or has someone been angry at you?

George:     What do you mean?

Eris:       Has someone pissed you off?  Been aggressive, tried to push you around?

George:     No.  There's the usual give and take at work.  A client wants something now.  But nothing out of the ordinary.  Nothing unusual.  Not since ...  you know.

Eris:       I see.  And your personal life?  Any unusual stresses there?

George:     No.  None.

Eris:       When was the last time you had sex?

George:     Hey, now!  I don't have to tell you about our love life.

Eris:       Carol says it has been over two months.  Has it been that long for you as well?

George:     Yeah.  Yeah, of course.  I'm not fooling around.  Like I said.  That is all over.

Eris:       I see.  And how about the World Trade Center, George?  You still obsessed with that?

George:     It was a pretty big shock.  Sometimes I think about it.  But I wouldn't say I'm obsessed. 

Eris:       It would be understandable if you were.

George:     I've moved on.  I've learned to cope with it.

Eris:       How many people did you lose?

George:     The whole department.  Everybody who worked for me.  They were all there that day.

Eris:       Including her?

George:     Yeah.  Including her.

Eris:       Why did you quit therapy, George?

George:     The doctor thought I was doing alright.  We just kept going over the same things again and again.  Didn't seem to make a lot of sense paying out all that money just to keep going over the same stuff.

Eris:       Sometimes you have to go over stuff a great many times before it makes sense, George.  It took me years to understand how destructive my relationship with Chad was.  It was years before I could see what was really going on.  I kept going back thinking it would get better.  But it never got better.  I finally had to start over.  Would you be willing to go back?

George:     Back to therapy?

Eris:       Yes.  Your old doctor or the one I recommended or another one.  You could pick your own.

George:     You aren't going to just read the cards and tell me what to do?

Eris:       It doesn't work like that, George.  The cards open up possibilities.  But it isn't psychiatry.

George:     So you think I'm crazy.

Eris:       No.  I don't think you're crazy.  But I think you are troubled.  It's affecting your relationship with Carol.  I think you should get help.

George:     If it will help Carol, of course, I will.

Eris:       Good.  I'm glad.  Will you call the doctor today?

George:     Yeah.  Sure.

Eris:       Really?

George:     Yes.  I will.  I promise.  I will call this morning.

Eris:       Good.  I'll tell Carol about your decision.  You're doing the right thing, George.

George:     Of course.

[Eris starts to exit but stops as George reaches for a coffee cup.]

Eris:       Oh, I wouldn't drink that if I were you.  I put hemlock in it.

George:     What?

Eris:       Just kidding.

[Exit Eris]