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Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 5 – Wrack and Ruin

Philip Robotham — Fri, 20 May 2022 12:03:51 +0000

Below we present the complete text of Wrack and Ruin; episode 5 of Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War.

Wrack and Ruin

Parental Guidance Recommended: May contain content some parents may feel is inappropriate for younger children

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #5 – Wrack and Ruin

by Philip Craig Robotham

Cover illustration by Philip Craig Robotham

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Edition.

CC by-nc-nd 4.0

This play is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) International license. This play may not be commercially reproduced, performed, or sold. Non-commercial production, performance, and reproduction are allowed under this license so long as attribution is maintained. No derivative content or use is allowed. It can be freely shared in its current form (without change) under this license. If you would like to purchase one or more copies of this work (for your own personal non-commercial use, or to help financially support the author) then please return to https://www.weirdworlstudios.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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Episode 5: Wrack and Ruin

Mort Flintwich considers himself a charlatan… but he can see ghosts – real ghosts. Claudette Moreland is a kid with a supernatural gift. And a gangster named Caesar Cordova wants to use her to win a gang war. Star City is getting stranger.

Wrack and Ruin

CAST LIST

MORT FLINTWICH

JAKE SPENCER

CAESAR CORDOVA

MADAM SOFIA MALEFICENT

LILLY MORELAND

CLAUDETTE MORELAND

WU CHENG

OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING

BRUNO

JULIO

SANCHO

LITTLE GIRL IN TRAFFIC

JIMMY

STAN

CHARITY COLLECTOR

DOCTOR

RECEPTIONIST

WAITRESS

CUSTOMER #1

CUSTOMER #2

WOMAN (KNOCKED OVER BY LILLY AND SANCHO)

MRS HARGREAVES

POLICEMAN #1 (WHO DIES)

POLICEMAN #2 (AT WAREHOUSE)

POLICEMAN #3 (AT WAREHOUSE)

SCRUG

SCRAT

OUTWORLDER #3

OUTWORLDER CAESAR

OUTWORLDER (RIVAL TO THE SPOKESBEING)

OUTWORLDER MINION (KILLED WITH SWORD ON STREET CORNER)

OUTWORLDER MINION (ATTACKING LILLY)

OUTWORLDERS

GANGSTER SPOKESMAN

GANGSTERS

OUTWORLDER LEADER

SFX ARTISTS

SCENE 31: INT – CAESAR CORDOVA’S HEADQUARTERS – EVENING
(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, MORT, JAKE, SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, THUGS)

MUSIC: OPENING THEME – LET IT FINISH.
NARRATOR: Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War, Episode 5: Wrack and Ruin.
It’s 1934 and Star City is a depression-era town gripped by unemployment and crime, but in its shadows a hidden and desperate war for the future of the human race is coming to a close.
Previously:
Crime-boss, Caesar Cordova, has won the gang war, but has also been possessed by outworlders, creatures from another dimension, that wish to open a gate to allow their species to invade the earth.
Mort Flintwich, a medium-for-hire who pretends to be a charlatan, has discovered a spell that might help defeat the outworlders and sets out to rescue Jesse (his kidnapped and currently comatose childhood friend) with the help of mother and daughter; Lilly and Claudette Morland.
SOUND: ECHOING FOOTSTEPS OF TUNNEL – ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
MORT: (WHISPERING) Ok, mind your heads. These tunnels are rough. We’re nearly there.
LILLY: Mort, how’d you even know about this way in? I’d never heard of it.
MORT: These are bootlegging tunnels. They were once used for a smuggling operation.
LILLY: And now?
MORT: Now, Lil? Now they’re used for moving people without being seen.
LILLY: At least they don’t smell like the sewers. More loamy, you know? But I don’t understand why I never knew about them.
MORT: You always came publicly, as a guest or employee. The time I was brought in, it was because Cordova wanted to kill me and wanted it to be anything but public.
CLAUDETTE: How’d you get out of that?
MORT: (SMUGLY) I was very smart, Claudette. Let’s just say I’d made arrangements to release material that would have sent Cordova to the electric chair if I were to disappear.
LILLY: That’s a dangerous game to play with the likes of Cordova.
MORT: I was playing for my life. (BEAT) Look there’s the basement. Up the stairs is a kind of back-hallway beside some more stairs leading to a balcony over the foyer.
LILLY: Got it.
MORT: Lilly, you and Claudette head up there. I’m gonna take a more direct route in. Do you remember what you have to do?
CLAUDETTE: I’ve got it under control.
MORT: I’m sure you have. Stay safe and stay out of sight.
SOUND: FEET ON STAIRS (LILLY AND CLAUDETTE) – FADING.
MORT: Okay, here goes.
JAKE: You know, this is pretty brave, Mort.
MORT: Are you still here, Jake?
JAKE: Where else would I be? It’s not like ghosts have better things to do than watch you get into trouble.
MORT: Yeah, well. I don’t do brave. You know that.
JAKE: Correction. You don’t do smart. Smart would involve being anywhere but here right now. Brave and stupid. That’s you, my friend.
MORT: Thanks for the pep-talk. It’s been a big help.
JAKE: No problem.
MORT: You’re not worried about going in here with me? The outworlders eat ghosts, you know?
JAKE: Finally, you’re willing to acknowledge–
MORT: Seriously Jake? This is more proof that you’re not a ghost. I doubt they are any threat to you at all.
JAKE: I’ll be fine, but not because I’m not a ghost. I know how to stay out of sight of those things.
MORT: Yeah, yeah. But something’s not right.
JAKE: Huh?
MORT: I fell like I’m missing something. Like I almost realized something and let it slip away.
JAKE: You mean like trying to figure out who is behind Cordova?
MORT: Damn it. That’s it!
JAKE: You’re welcome.
MORT: Cordova’s not smart enough for this. And there’s no way he could have learned magic so fast on his own. He was mundane a month or two ago.
JAKE: It hardly matters now. Even if you did know who was behind it all, you’d still be going ahead with this, wouldn’t you?
MORT: I guess so, but I’ve got no idea what kind of backup he may have in place.
JAKE: Too late now.
MORT: Yeah. The girls will already be in position.
JAKE: Okay I’m hiding now. Don’t forget the sword. If it holds any magic against these things, you’re gonna need it.
SOUND: SWORD BEING DRAWN – LET IT FINISH
MORT: (DEEP BREATH) Okay. Let’s go kill some monsters.
SOUND: DOOR PUSHES OPEN – LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: DOZENS OF GUNS COCKING – LET IT FINISH.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Welcome, Mr Flintwich. Come inside. We’ve been expecting you.
MORT: (GROANS) That tears it. (BEAT) (BRAZENING IT OUT) Mr. Cordova. I love what you’ve done with the place. The corpses are a ghoulish touch.
OUTWORLDER THUG: Smart guy, huh?
MORT: They don’t quite match the marble floor and columns, though. Too much red. (BEAT) No-one have the time to take ’em outside?
SOFIA: Hello, Mort. It’s nice to finally meet you. I see you’ve been taking care of Claudette for us.
MORT: Who the hell are you? No, don’t tell me. You’re the one who’s been pulling the Mob-Boss’ strings.
SOFIA: (SARCASM) Why, Mr. Flintwich, what could you mean? Mr. Cordova is the one in charge.
CLAUDETTE: I’m sorry Mort, they grabbed us as soon as we got to the top of the stairs. Granny betrayed us.
MORT: Granny?
OUTWORLDER GANGSTER: Shut up you little cow.
SOUND: HARD SLAP AND BODY DROP – LET IT FINISH.
CLAUDETTE: WHIMPERS IN PAIN.
MORT: You’ll pay for that you son of a…
SOUND: STRUGGLE, SOME BLOWS – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: Ugh! (GASPING FOR BREATH) Damn… you–
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: There is nothing you can do, mortal. We have you, and while you don’t have the kind of power this girl has, you have enough to make you useful in our ritual.
MORT: What are you going to do to me?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: We will drain you like a battery. (TO THE OUTWORLDER MINIONS) Tie him up and put him on the outside edge of the circle opposite her.
OUTWORLDER GANGSTER: And what of the woman? What shall we do with her?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Put her where the girl can see her, beside the man. If the girl refuses to cooperate, slit the woman’s throat.
CLAUDETTE: Mom!
LILLY: (COUGHING) Don’t worry about me, Claudette. It’ll be alright.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (LAUGHING) Oh no it won’t. But I’m feeling merciful. I won’t destroy you until after you’ve seen the ruin you have brought upon the face of the earth. (TO HIS MINIONS) Search them!
OUTWORLDER GANGSTER: Not much here. The girl has a pocket full of paper flowers. The man is carrying a pair of swords. What do you want us to do with them?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Burn the flowers. Pathetic shrivelled things. Mockeries of life and just as fragile. As for the swords… Pah. They are no threat to us. Toss them in the corner.
OUTWORLDER GANGSTER: Yes, Master.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (TO MORT) Before I forget, Mr. Flintwich. It appears that we are holding a friend of yours, Jesse I believe.
(TO SCRUG) You!
OUTWORLDER GANGSTER #2: Master?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Go upstairs and kill the vegetable.
LILLY AND MORT: No!
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Ah, delicious. Your concern for each other is so easily transmuted into fear. Tasty.
LILLY: (COUGHING) Claudette, don’t cooperate!
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: What? You’d risk your life, the life of your child, for this… thing? Who is this person that you would die to protect her? She is barely more than a corpse. She’s so deep inside her own mind, she has almost no brain activity!
LILLY: Don’t cooperate Claudette. Don’t do it!
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Start cutting the mother’s throat.
CLAUDETTE: If you touch her, I’ll never help you. Never!
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (ANGRY) You defy me! You think you can bargain with me? (LAUGHING) But what’s a few minutes when balanced against control of this world’s future?
SCRUG: Master?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (TO SCRUG) Leave the thing, Jesse, in the bed upstairs for now. (TO SOFIA) Witch! Where is the book?
SOFIA: Mort has brought it with him. Allow me to get it for you, master.
(TO MORT) You poor little man, Flintwich. Playing the hero, putting together the clues, setting out to thwart our plans, and failing to achieve any of your goals.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Stop gloating. There will be time for that later.
SOFIA: (GRUNTS PULLING BOOK FROM MORT’S HANDS) Ungh. Here, I’ve got it. Let’s bring about the end of the world!
MUSIC: TIME PASSING SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

ACT 3

SCENE 32: INT- CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – ALMOST MIDNIGHT
(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, MORT, JAKE, SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, OUTWORLDER GANGSTERS)

LILLY: I’m freezing.
MORT: Yeah. This many outworlders in one spot will do that.
LILLY: What? Lower the temperature?
MORT: Yeah.
LILLY: (BEAT) So…?
MORT: So, what?
LILLY: (SARCASTIC)So, do you come here often? (BEAT)What do you think? (BEAT THEN EMPHASISING) How are we going to get out of this mess?
MORT: The hell if I know.
LILLY: Don’t you have a plan?
MORT: My plan involved breaking in here with magical swords, backed up by some powerful magical artillery on the balcony, and slicing and dicing my way through a bunch of alien monsters before anyone was the wiser.
LILLY: Great plan.
MORT: What can I say? I’ve got no gift for strategy.
LILLY: You idiot. We waltzed in here at the exact time Cordova was expecting us. They must have read his memories.
MORT: Though I’m not sure I could be expected to know they could do that.
LILLY: (COUGHING) We’ve handed them Claudette. They’ll be able to invade without anyone to stop them. We’ve doomed the damn world.
MORT: Are you wishing you’d agreed to stay behind with Claudette now?
LILLY: I can’t believe I started to think you were smart. (BEAT) We’re going to die if you don’t come up with something. (STARTS COUGHING BADLY).
MORT: Easy Lilly, I’m working on it.
LILLY: (RECOVERING) Mort, something’s happening.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (TO SOFIA) The midnight hour approaches, witch. Is all in readiness?
SOFIA: Almost. Is there a reason you want to recreate the spirit trap that Cordova created with his original gate rather than allowing your brethren through unfettered?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Do you presume to question me?
SOFIA: No, only it takes more power to contain them than it would to let them in.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Of course. You are smarter than you look… (BEAT) and correct, I do not merely want to bring my fellows through into this realm.
SOFIA: Why not? There would be great reward for the one who achieves it.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: True, but I would be enslaved by the masters once more, and having been cut off from their compulsions, I am enjoying my freedom.
SOFIA: And you wish to be a master yourself?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Yes, exactly. I will release them when the existing masters pledge their allegiance to me.
SOFIA: And then…?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Then I will rule as their emperor.
SOFIA: (BEAT) I see. A dangerous gamble. They will turn you inside out if your plan fails.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: It won’t. And if it even looks like it might, you will be the first to die.
SOFIA: (BEAT) Then Master, you should know that Cordova didn’t align the mirrors properly. They will need to be aligned across the circle he inscribed on the floor.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (SUSPICIOUS) What? I find no trace of this in his mind.
SOFIA: Of course not. The fool did not wait for me before he attempted the ritual. He guessed at my instructions. The gate could not be held open and stabilised, as you know. Set your minions to the task.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Do you presume to give me orders, witch?
SOFIA: Never, master. But you would do well to follow my… advice. See the way it directs the magical energy away from the center of the circle. It cannot work in its current form.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Hmmm. Minions, do as she… “advises”.
OUTWORLDER GANGSTERS: Yes, master.
SOUND: BUSTLE AND ACTIVITY – ESTABLISH UNDER AND STOP
SOFIA: (STAGE WHISPER) Alright, Mort, while their attention is elsewhere… I’m loosening your bonds. Here, take this paper.
SOUND: CRUMPLED PAPER BEING PRESSED INTO SOMEONE’S HAND – LET IT FINISH.
SOFIA: When the time comes, read it aloud. The swords are behind you and to the left.
MORT: (ANGRY REPLY STAGE WHISPER) And why should I do anything you ask?
SOFIA: Because, if you do, there’s a chance we may all live to see the dawn. And if you don’t we’ll all die.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: What are you doing over there, witch?
SOFIA: (TO MORT) Take this, pig!
SOUND: FACE SLAP – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: Ugh!
SOFIA: Petty little charlatans like you, trading on your thimble full of power, always irritate me.
(TO OUTWORLDER CAESAR) Are you sure you won’t let me have this one for a little while after the ceremony, master? I would so enjoy wiping that defiant expression off his weasel face.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Be silent. You are lucky I’m willing to honour our agreement and leave you with your life.
SOFIA: You need me.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Only if the circle holds.
SOFIA: And if it doesn’t?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: The new arrivals will kill you. I can only protect you if the circle holds and they are bound to my will.
SOFIA: The circle will hold. (BEAT) Ugh! Hey!
OUTWORLDER GANGSTER: Look out, witch.
SOUND: RATTLE OF CANDLESTICK – UNDER AND FINISH.
SOFIA: Get out of my way, oaf! I need to get into position.
LILLY: (STAGE WHISPER) What is she doing? I can’t see.
MORT: (STAGE WHISPER) (AMAZED) She’s… she’s misaligning the candles and mirrors. I think she’s betraying Cordova, or whatever that thing inside him is. (STRUGGLES A MOMENT, GRUNTING WITH EFFORT ETC.) I’m loose!
LILLY: Don’t trust her. Everything she’s doing is aimed at saving her own skin. Now get me loose too. (BEAT) Mort?
MORT: Lilly… I…
LILLY: Mort, no!
MORT: I’m going to go with her plan.
LILLY: But…
MORT: Think about it. What will we do if we run for it? Claudette is under heavy guard, there are at least 12 of his possessed lieutenants in here and they’ve all got guns – genuine solid guns from our solid human reality.
LILLY: It’s too risky.
MORT: And in a little while, there will be even more of those monsters flooding into our world. This is our best chance.
LILLY: But you don’t know who she is, or even if she’s telling the truth.
MORT: True, but I think I can make a guess. There are rumours about a crazy old Romany woman in Star City. Goes by the name of Madame Sofia. She’s supposed to be able to see the future.
LILLY: Even if she is this woman, what does that prove? She handed us over to Cordova. She’s on that monster’s side.
MORT: Perhaps. But she’s messing with the ritual, sabotaging it. I think it’s our best shot.
LILLY: Well, if you get us killed, I’m going to rip you apart.
MORT: (AMUSED) Oh, really?
LILLY: Oh, shut up. (STARTS COUGHING)
MORT: Jake? You there?
JAKE: I’m here.
MORT: Jake? Where…? Oh. What are you doing in the floor?
JAKE: If I pushed my face through a wall, I’d be far more noticeable.
MORT: Uh… fine. Listen, I want you to get out of here.
JAKE: What? You just called me.
MORT: I mean it. Go. Now. There’s going to be so much wild energy flying around in here soon that if you are a real ghost, there’s a good chance it’ll destroy you.
JAKE: Nothing doing, boss.
MORT: What?
JAKE: I’m sticking with you. It’s time you got your proof, one way or the other.
MORT: Jake…
JAKE: If I’m not real and you get offed tonight, then that’s curtains for me anyway, right?
MORT: But…
JAKE: No, I’m not going anywhere.
MORT: Damnit. Years of sneaking about, and tonight you decide to grow a spine.
JAKE: Yeah, I love you too, Mort. See ya.
LILLY: (PANTING SLIGHTLY) Talking to one of your ghosts again?
MORT: Maybe.
SOUND: CLOCK STARTS STRIKING MIDNIGHT – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: It’s time. Witch! Let the ritual begin.
SOFIA: Little girl, begin reading your part now, if you want your mother to live. Master? You must join in too.
CLAUDETTE, SOFIA, AND OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (CHANTING) Zinnia, Alstroemeria, Trachelium, Cyclamen, Ranunculus, Hypericum, Phalaenopsis, Dee.
SOUND: BAMF! – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: Something’s happening.
LILLY: A circle of blue light is opening up in one of the mirrors.
MORT: It’s a portal. They’re coming through.
SOUND: WHOOSHING – LET IT CONTINUE UNDER.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Witness my victory, mortals. I bring my kind back to your world as conquerors. (EVIL LAUGH) Muahahahaha! See how they pour through into the circle.
TRAPPED OUTWORLDER LEADER: You have done well, minion.
SOUND: ELECTRICAL ZAP! – LET IT FINISH.
TRAPPED OUTWORLDER LEADER: But what is this barrier? Remove it so we can renew our ties of loyalty. Great reward I bring you for completing this service.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: I think not, “former” master. I am free and you are fenced behind that wall of power. If you ever wish to know freedom yourself, you will promise fealty to me and to my brood.
TRAPPED OUTWORLDER LEADER: (OUTRAGED) You dare to seek MY enslavement?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Yours and that of those other masters who follow you. I control this gate and the barrier that surrounds it. I can keep you enclosed here for eternity.
TRAPPED OUTWORLDER LEADER: Think you so? When enough of us are here we will be able to break through.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: I don’t doubt it, but it will take millennia. And you will be forced to feed off each other in the mean-time, reducing our already depleted numbers to a level our race may never recover from.
TRAPPED OUTWORLDER LEADER: You threaten starvation?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: I do. And meanwhile there is an entire world out here full of tasty souls for the taking. I am happy to wait. I doubt if these creatures will even exist in another ten thousand years – without us to farm them properly.
TRAPPED OUTWORLDER LEADER: And you think I will be swayed by the short term gain?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Yes, I do. Why play the long game, when a simple promise of fealty will grant you freedom? You won’t even lose your supremacy over your broods.
TRAPPED OUTWORLDER LEADER: So, you are determined to enslave your betters.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: I will hold ultimate sway, but I will leave you your bases of power. And all in exchange for a simple little… (BEAT) Wait, what is that? A second portal is opening in the remaining mirror. It’s…
SOUND: BAMF! – LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: RUSHING WIND SOUND INCREASES
SOFIA: (TRIUMPHANT) It’s dragging those who are coming through the first portal out and into another plane. A stronger one. Where the walls between our worlds are not so thin. Mort, Claudette, now!
MORT, CLAUDETTE AND SOFIA: Narcissum, Ranunculous, Protea, Trachelium!
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: You… cannot do this! The girl! The girl is powering this spell, but her flesh is… weak and tired! I am going to destroy her!
CLAUDETTE: Mort!!!?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: No. (STRUGGLING) No. I will not be…
SOUND: TEARING AS CAESAR AND THE OUTWORLDER SEPARATE. – LET IT FINISH.

*The two voices outworlder spokesbeing and Caesar are separate once more from this point.

OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: Why can’t I raise my gun?
CAESAR: You’re growing weaker and I won’t let you, that’s why. We’re separating, monster. No more will you rule over the body of Caesar Cordova!
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: You may be strong, insect, but the same cannot be said for your minions and they are still under my control. (TO OUTWORLDER MINIONS) Destroy the girl.
OUTWORLDER MINION: I am close enough to finish the male off, master. I will kill him for you.
LILLY: Not if I can trip you up, you won’t.
OUTWORLDER MINION: Ugh!
SOUND: POSSESSED GANGSTER TRIPS AND FALLS WITH A THUD – LET IT FINISH
CLAUDETTE: Mom! The rest of them are almost on top of me!
SOFIA: (HURRIEDLY) Be dispossessed of these mortal bodies, fiends. Begone. Mort… Claudette… help me finish the ritual.
MORT, CLAUDETTE, AND SOFIA: Trachelium, Cyclamen, Hypericum, Dee.
SOUND: BAMF AND WOOSH OF DISPOSSESSION – LET IT FINISH.
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: No! I am betrayed! Aaaa-aaargh!

*The voices of outworlders and Cordova’s henchmen separate from this point on.

OUTWORLDERS: (AD LIB) Master! We have been cast out! We are loose! Etc.
GANGSTERS: (AD LIB) Boss! What’s happened? Are we okay? Etc.
CORDOVA: You men, get out of here, now!
GANGSTERS: (AD LIB) Sure. You got it. Yeah. I ain’t gonna argue with that. Etc.
SOUND: DEPARTING FEET – LET IT FINISH.
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: You have cast me out, but if I am free of this body, I am also free once more to kill the girl.
CLAUDETTE: Mort, help!
MORT: Run for it, Claudette!
CLAUDETTE: I can’t. I’m powering the portal spells. I can’t leave the circle’s edge.
MORT: I’ll grab the swords.
SOUND: SWORD BEING DRAWN – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: You’re not getting past me, monster.
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: You may be able to halt me for a moment, but what about the rest of us? Can you prevent my minions from overwhelming you?
SOFIA: Barrethion Formis!
SOUND: BAMF – LET IT FINISH.
OUTWORLDERS: Master, the witch has trapped us. She has placed a wall of force in our path. We cannot get through.
SOFIA: They cannot approach and aid you now, monster. You are alone.
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: You think I am trapped in here with you? No, mortal. You are trapped in here with me. I’m not a physical part of this reality. But I can still affect it… like this…
SOUND: RIPPING OF FABRIC – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: SCREAMS IN PAIN. Aaargh!
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: Is it worth it? Protecting the weak little girl? Suffering like this?
MORT: Ugh! Toying with me, monster? She’s worth 20 of you and you’ll regret giving me the chance to get this close to you. Take that…
SOUND: FLESHY SQUELCH OF SWORD DRIVEN INTO MONSTER – LET IT FINISH.
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: (GASPS)What? It… penetrates. It… hurts.
MORT: More importantly… Ugh…
SOUND: SWORD BEING RIPPED FREE – LET IT FINISH
MORT: It’s a polished iron weapon and it kills your kind… but right now it can… (GRUNTS) force… (GRUNTS) you back… (GRUNT) into the circle.
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: The portal has me in its grip!
MORT: Why isn’t it sucking you through?
LILLY: (COUGHING) It’s still anchored to its brood. The barrier that kept them from attacking you is holding them in place and their connection to the one you’re fighting is keeping it from being sucked into the portal.
SOFIA: That’s easily fixed. Barethium Terminus!
SOUND: BAMF – LET IT FINISH
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: No! Nooooo! (FADING WAIL)
LILLY: That’s it! They are all being pulled through.
OUTWORLDER MINION: No. I’m being dragged. But I can still take one of you with me, mortal.
LILLY: No!
SOUND: TEARING – LET IT FINISH
LILLY: It’s got me! Ugh! Its claws are cutting into me.
CORDOVA: Hang on. I have you! I won’t let go.
OUTWORLDER MINION: Can you anchor her against the combined pull of my brood, mortal?
MORT: Cordova, the sword. Catch! (GRUNTS) Ungh!
CORDOVA: (GRUNTS AS HE CATCHES IT) Ugh. Here, monster… take this!
SOUND: THRUST OF SWORD INTO SOMETHING SOFT AND WET – LET IT FINISH.
LILLY: (RELIEF AS IT LETS GO) Ahh.
OUTWORLDER MINION: (SCREAMS – FADING WAIL) Aaaaaaaargh.
SOUND: TEARING SOUND WITH SPLASHING DRIPS – UNDER.
SOUND: MAGICAL BAMF – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: (IN PAIN BRIEFLY) Ugh! What now?
SOFIA: Everyone get back. Some of Lilly’s blood has fallen inside the circle.
MORT: And–
SOFIA: Blood changes magic. The circle is starting to expand and suck things from our world through.
LILLY: But Claudette’s on the circle’s edge.
CLAUDETTE: Granny, the portal’s got me! MORT: Hang on Claudette. Here I come.
CLAUDETTE: (SCREAMS WITH FRIGHT) Argh!
MORT: (BEAT) Ugh! Got you!
SOUND: BODIES THUMP TO FLOOR! – LET IT FINISH
CLAUDETTE: Mort, you’re bleeding. Are you okay?
MORT: I’m fine, but your mom needs help and the portal is widening. Get back!
SOUND: ROARING WIND INCREASES – UNDER
SOFIA: (SHOUTING ABOVE WIND) Wait. We have to close the portal. Turn over the paper. You and Claudette need to read the ritual on the back with me.
SOUND: FLUTTER OF PAPER – FADES
MORT: (CALLING BACK) No! Damn it. It’s gone. It got ripped from my hand and went through.
CLAUDETTE: What does that mean?
MORT: It means we have to run for it.
SOFIA: You can’t run. That portal will continue to expand. It will swallow the entire planet.
MORT: Then what? Stay here and die?
SOFIA: I… I don’t know. I…
MORT: Call out the words. We’ll repeat them after you.
SOFIA: But…?
MORT: We have to say the words, right? It’s the best chance we’ve got!
SOFIA: Alright, here goes… The first three words are Felis, Gerridae, Acynonix!
JAKE: Mort! I’m caught in the pull of the portal. I can’t… Aaaargh! (FADING WAIL)
MORT: Wait. No! Jake got pulled through.
SOFIA: Mort, we don’t have time. Felis, Gerridae, Acynonix.
MORT: We need to keep the gate open. I have to get Jake.
SOFIA: We can’t, Mort.
SOUND: RIPPING, TEARING, SQUEALCH OF PREDATOR COMING THROUGH.
LILLY: What the hell is that?
SOFIA: It’s the thing from the mirror dimension. The one that has been destroying the outworlders.
LILLY: It’s huge and it’s trying to get in.
CLAUDETTE: Stop it! It’s tearing at my brain. (IN PAIN) Aargh!
SOFIA: Mort, there’s no time. Say the words; Felis, Gerridae, Acynonix. (BEAT) Mort, say them!
MORT: Alright, damnit!
MORT, CLAUDETTE, SOFIA: Felis, Gerridae, Acynonix.
SOUND: EVERYTHING STARTS RUMBLING AND CRASHING – UNDER
SOFIA: Quickly! The last words are Gliridae, Chilopoda, Esox.
MORT, CLAUDETTE, AND SOFIA: Gliridae, Chilopoda, Esox!
SOUND: SHOOP NOISE ENDING THE STORM OF NOISE – LET IT FINISH – ESTABLISH THE SILENCE FOR A MOMENT
LILLY: (LONG BEAT) Is that it? Is it over?
MORT: Yes. The compulsion is broken. I’m free of Jenny’s blood debt. But Jake… Jake’s gone. (BEAT) He was real.
SOUND: CLAUDETTE’S RUSHING STEPS – LET IT FINISH
CLAUDETTE: (HAPPY TEARS) Granny! I knew you were good. I knew it!
SOFIA: Easy, little one. These old bones aren’t used to being crushed in a bear hug.
CLAUDETTE: Sorry, Granny!
LILLY: You two know each other?
SOFIA: Um… Yes… well…
CAESAR: I hate to interrupt your revels, but Lilly is hurt.
LILLY: The wound’s bloody, but it’s not deep. I’ll be fine once I get a bandage on it. (TO CORDOVA) Why’d you have to be the one to (STARTS COUGHING) save me. I still want to kill you for threatening Claudette.
MORT: (TO CORDOVA) You! This was all your fault, Cordova.
SOUND: GUN COCKS – LET IT FINISH
CAESAR: Easy, Mr. Flintwich. This gun is a precaution. I’d hate for you to do something stupid now that you’ve helped save the world.
MORT: Damn you. What do you intend to do with us?
CAESAR: I do not intend to do anything with you. Stay still. No, don’t be afraid. All I really want is to ask you to leave my house and never come back.
LILLY: Huh?
CAESAR: I owe you a debt. Rescuing me from the control of that thing… I am grateful.
SOFIA: You have what you wanted, Caesar. As I promised. Your rivals are gone.
CAESAR: Are you going to take credit for this… catastrophe, Sofia?
SOFIA: In a way, yes. The world behind the mirrors was leaking into our own. It was a matter of time before they found their way here in force.
LILLY: But if you…
SOFIA: The barrier between our worlds was too weak. They had to be sent… somewhere else, somewhere stronger.
LILLY: The second portal.
SOFIA: Exactly. But the rituals required were strong and needed powerful active individuals to enact them.
LILLY: You set Cordova after my daughter?!
SOFIA: To save the world? Yes. Yes, I did.
LILLY: Why you–?
CLAUDETTE: Mom, don’t. Granny wouldn’t have hurt me.
SOFIA: Er… no… I guess I wouldn’t have. But that’s not a good thing, Claudette. I can’t let myself… feel… for anyone. Not if I’m going to do what I need to.
CLAUDETTE: But you do feel something for me, don’t you, Granny? I can tell.
SOFIA: Yes, I guess I do, sweetie.
CLAUDETTE: Me too.
MORT: How could you stage-manage all this? It’s not possible.
SOFIA: I can’t stage-manage anything. I see the pathways of the future. That’s my gift.
MORT: But that’s not enough. I’m nobody’s puppet.
SOFIA: All the possible futures and roads spread out before me. I try to arrange things so that particular paths are followed and others are excluded.
MORT: But even so?
SOFIA: Most paths were converging on the destruction and enslavement of the human species to those Outworlders. I tried to tip the scales.
MORT: And you could see our futures?
SOFIA: No. I see the futures of mundane people, those who don’t have magical gifts. I could see the futures available to the mob bosses (Tommy Boscone and Dillon Tremere)… my apologies, you prefer to refer to each other as businessmen, yes?
CAESAR: Yes.
SOFIA: I could see their futures. But the futures of the rest of you were a blur and where theirs intersected with yours, that blurred things further. Much of what I have done was based on guess work and hope.
CLAUDETTE: In the end, you saved us.
CAESAR: You have taken many risks, and the price has been… high.SOFIA: I’m sorry, Caesar. But your choices were behind your biggest losses (your men… your eyes…) but you would be dead now without them. They were… necessary.
CAESAR: I cannot deny that I owe you a debt. But I also cannot stand the sight of you. Others who have tried to use me in the past have paid a high price for their presumption.
SOFIA: Do not think there isn’t a price I will have to pay for my meddling… but yes, you are right. I have manipulated all of you. It is my burden.
CAESAR: (DISMISSIVE) The burden of a meddlesome old woman!
SOFIA: And Caesar, for you it is not yet over. The sight you now have, along with your position as the leader of the city’s crime syndicates now that Boscone and Tremere are dead, puts you in a unique position.
CAESAR: I am not going to be your plaything, Sofia.
SOFIA: Your debt to me will be paid with interest, since I am making you this city’s guardian.
CAESAR: Debt? What rubbish is this? By what authority do you presume to direct my actions?
SOFIA: I don’t presume. The things which have happened in recent weeks have weakened the barriers between worlds, we have prevented one threat from coming through, but there are others and it will be your job to meet and neutralize them. The price, you might say, of being a survivor.
CAESAR: Bah! I will repair the ruins of my mansion. I will dispose of all these bodies. I will even threaten your lives so that this is never spoken of again. And, though I am better for this city than the bosses that are gone, I remain a criminal. I operate outside the law for my own enrichment and… now that I have sole control of the city… I am beholden to no-one, least of all you, witch.
SOFIA: As you wish. But when the time comes, you will be ready to stand. (BEAT) As for the rest of us, we should go. You are going to have a lot to do.
LILLY: Madame Sofia?
SOFIA: Yes?
LILLY: There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask. It’s about… my magic. Everyone says I’ve got some.
SOFIA: Mmmm. You do. But…
LILLY: But?
SOFIA: Not all magic is beneficial. Sometimes, if it is not controlled, it can have terrible results.
LILLY: I don’t understand.
SOFIA: When was the last time you were ill (before this recent business, I mean)?
LILLY: I don’t know.
CLAUDETTE: I don’t remember mom ever being sick.
SOFIA: (TO CLAUDETTE) Perhaps you should go have a talk with Mort while I discuss this with your mother.
MORT: (TO CLAUDETTE) Come on sweetie. It’ll be alright.
CLAUDETTE: Okay.
LILLY: This seems a little ominous.
SOFIA: I thought you would prefer not to talk about the fact you are dying in front of your daughter.
LILLY: How is it that everyone seems to know that…
SOFIA: I’m guessing you haven’t been ill since your daughter was born.
LILLY: I haven’t had time to be sick. There was just me to look after her. Wait, are you saying this has something to do with magic?
SOFIA: You’ve been suppressing illness magically for at least twelve years.
LILLY: I’ve been what?
SOFIA: It’s your gift. But you haven’t known how to use it. All you’ve done is suppress the symptoms, while the illnesses themselves have remained trapped in your body – unable to be processed.
LILLY: I don’t understand.
SOFIA: The doctor told you he’d never seen so many pathogens in a living person, didn’t he.
LILLY: Yes, but… How did you know that?
SOFIA: You’ve been collecting them, suppressing them with your magic. They’ve become so numerous that your body, and your magic, can’t contain them anymore.
LILLY: (HOPEFUL) But if it’s magical, can’t I…?
SOFIA: I’m sorry, no. There is too much damage and the realisation of what’s happening has come too late. No-one can prevent you from dying at this point.
LILLY: But…
SOFIA: I’m sorry, Lilly.
LILLY: (BITTER) Yeah, well. Everybody’s sorry about something.
CLAUDETTE: (APPROACHING) Mom?
LILLY: (PULLING HERSELF TOGETHER) Yes, sweetie.
CLAUDETTE: This must all have seemed pretty strange to you; the magic and monsters and everything, I mean.
LILLY: You’ve no idea.
CLAUDETTE: And I know you try your best. That you want to keep me safe.
LILLY: Honey?
CLAUDETTE: I want you to know that I love you… and that I’m grateful… and that I understand and don’t care that you’re not perfect. You’re my mom and you always will be.
LILLY: Oh, sweetie, what brought this on?
CLAUDETTE: We all could have died , and I wanted to make sure…
LILLY: I love you too, kid. Come on, let’s get out of here. (TO MORT) Mort, can we stay at your place for a little while?
MORT: Huh? Sure. And you’re right. It’s time we went. Cordova, are we good?
CAESAR: Is our agreement still in place?
MORT: So long as you don’t go off half-cocked and assume I’ve broken it.
CAESAR: Then, yes. We are… “good”.
MORT: Then I’ll arrange for Jesse to be returned to her hospital.
CAESAR: No.
MORT: What?
CAESAR: Jesse stays here. I will see to her care. Don’t worry, it will be the best that money can buy. But you are too unpredictable and I think it would be best for everyone if she remains under my protection.
MORT: After everything we’ve… You bastard!
CAESAR: We are not friends, Mort. Brief allies at best. Whatever the case right now, I know you ache to see me put in a cage. I am protecting my interests.
LILLY: (COUGHING) Leave it, Mort. He will look after her. Whatever else he does, he keeps his word.
CAESAR: I will let you know what hospital I place her in… so you can visit.
MORT: You win for now. But this isn’t over, Cordova.
CAESAR: I wouldn’t imagine so. But we’ll see. The care that I can provide your Jesse will exceed your own and, though you won’t believe it, I owe you something for your part in ending the invasion.
MORT: (UNIMPRESSED) Hmpf. (BEAT) What about you, Sofia? There’s some food at my place.
SOFIA: Er… no!
CLAUDETTE: Pleeeease. Mom’s a great cook.
SOFIA: Hmpf! (GRUFFLY) I guess I could use a hot meal.
MORT: Okay, let’s go.
SOFIA: Oh, and Mr. Cordova?
CORDOVA: Mmmm?
SOFIA: I’m leaving you your cat.
SOUND: CAT’S MIAOW – LET IT FINISH.
SOFIA: Feed her. She’s hungry.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 33: INT – KITCHEN OF THE SAFE HOUSE – PRE-DAWN
(MORT, SOFIA, LILLY, AND CLAUDETTE)

SOUND: CUTLERY, PLATES ETC. – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
CLAUDETTE: Did you like it, Granny?
SOFIA: It’s food. You learn not to be too picky.
CLAUDETTE: I helped Mort make it.
MORT: And a good job you did too.
SOFIA: (PETULANT) You said your mother would cook.
CLAUDETTE: We can do lots of useful things like that, can’t we mom?
LILLY: Claudette…
SOFIA: And I bet you’d be pretty comfortable here too, wouldn’t you Granny? There’s lots of room.
MORT: Claudette…
CLAUDETTE: I’m sure Mort wouldn’t mind, would you Mort?
MORT: Now, Claudette, Madame Sofia might have other things she needs to do.
LILLY: You can’t invite a bunch of strangers into Mort’s life, Claudette.
CLAUDETTE: Why not? We all get along. And we make a good team. Why can’t I invite us all to be together?
LILLY: Well… it’s…
SOFIA: It’s alright, Lilly. I can’t stay, Claudette. I can’t.
CLAUDETTE: Don’t you want to, Granny?
SOFIA: Oh, child. You don’t know how much I want to.
CLAUDETTE: But…
SOFIA: You’re too young to understand, but I’ll try to explain. I can’t stay because I want to. Because I’m old and tired of being alone and not having somewhere to call home. Because I want to stay with you and enjoy your smiles and heart-aches and watch you grow.
CLAUDETTE: But that’s great…
SOFIA: But if I stay, I’ll be tempted to neglect my other job… an important job. And maybe I won’t neglect it right off, but over time I’ll start to be scared of the risks, of what I might have to lose if I did what I have to do.
CLAUDETTE: No.
SOFIA: I’d tell myself I was doing it out of love for you, Claudette. But actually, I’d be acting selfishly.
CLAUDETTE: No, Granny. That’s not true.
SOFIA: You’re saying that because you want it to be a lie. But the truth isn’t like that. It isn’t what we want it to be. It just is.
LILLY: If Sofia’s going to do her job, she has to go.
SOFIA: And I have to do my job, Claudette. A lot of people – more than you could count – need me to.
CLAUDETTE: But…
SOFIA: Give me one of your flowers, Claudette.
CLAUDETTE: Um… okay. Here.
SOFIA: I’m going to keep it with me, alright. To remember you.
CLAUDETTE: I’m going to miss you, Granny.
SOFIA: It will be all right, Claudette. You’re going to be fine. (TO MORT) Won’t she, Mort?
MORT: Huh? I’m sorry… I was thinking about…
CLAUDETTE: Were you thinking about Jake, Mort?
MORT: Yeah, I guess I was. I saw him get sucked through that portal.
SOFIA: No, you didn’t.
MORT: What?
SOFIA: You were right all along. Jake was something your brain came up with to help you deal with shutting down and repressing your gifts.
MORT: But I thought…
SOFIA: Even though some ghosts are invisible to some folks, we should all have been able to see and hear him during the casting of that spell. The magic was too strong for him to remain invisible, but you were the only one who could see him.
MORT: How do you even know about my gifts and how I use them?
SOFIA: I picked you, Mort. There’s not much I don’t know about you. Jake was in your head and now that you’re using your gifts again, he’s gone… like I need to be. Can I put Claudette to bed on my way out Lilly?
LILLY: Uh, sure.
SOFIA: Come on Claudette. Say goodnight. You need some sleep.
CLAUDETTE: Goodnight mom. Goodnight Mort.
SOUND: DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES – LET IT FINISH
MORT: You’ve been pretty quiet since we got back Lil. I hate to say it, but it’s 4:15 in the morning and you look done in. Maybe we should hit the hay too.
LILLY: In a minute, Mort. There are things to talk about.
MORT: It’s okay, Lil. You and Claudette can stay here as long as you like.
LILLY: No, I need to know something, Mort. I need to know if you think you could love Claudette?
MORT: (ANNOYED) Look, Lil, I know you’re afraid of her getting hurt. And I can see how quickly she attached herself to Madame Sofia, but you need somewhere to stay and you can’t…
LILLY: It’s not that. It’s… I’m dying, Mort. You know that. And I’ve got nowhere else to turn. Claudette needs someone who understands her, understands her and her gifts.
MORT: Hang on, Lil.
LILLY: She needs someone who will be willing to take care of her in good times and bad. And, Mort, my time’s coming soon. Sofia told me she can’t see my path but it’s clear I haven’t got long. I know I’ve got no right to ask… not after what I kept from you about… what I did to you over Lilly, the real Lilly.
MORT: Lil, it’s okay. I…
LILLY: But that’s part of the reason I’m asking. You’ve always been looking out for me. Even during those years that I was gone. In all the years since you thought you found me. Please, Mort. There’s no one else to…
MORT: Lilly, stop.
LILLY: I’m sorry. It’s not a grift, I swear. I… I had to ask, that’s all.
MORT: No, you don’t understand, Lil. Jesse’s gone. She’s been gone a long time. She died in that house they took you to. She died there and transformed into Lilly. She had to become Lilly to survive. And you have. You survived it all.
LILLY: (STARTS TO SOB) Don’t look at me!
MORT: But Jesse…, Jesse would know deep down. She’d know that you never have to ask. Not me. Don’t be so sure I don’t have my own Lilly. My own mask hiding the eight year old Mort who lost you all those years ago. Jesse would never have to ask the boy under that mask.
LILLY: What? But?
MORT: We’ve changed Lil. A lot of water has passed under the bridge, but you don’t have to ask about this. I’ll take care of her. I’ll love her. And I’ll protect her and help her.
LILLY: Oh, Mort. Thanks.
MORT: But we don’t have to face this yet, do we? I mean, can’t the doctors do something for you. Treatment or…
LILLY: Sure. But I don’t want it. It would mean a long time in hospital and in the end it wouldn’t work. I don’t want to put Claudette through that. I don’t want her to see that.
MORT: She loves you, Lil. It’s not brave to hide it and try to face it alone. It’s…
LILLY: I know that, damnit! (BEAT) And I’m not brave. I haven’t got the courage to share this with her. I haven’t got the courage to fight a losing battle. I can’t. I won’t. (STARTS COUGHING)
MORT: Easy, Lil. Easy. We can talk about this in the morning.
LILLY: (COMPOSING HERSELF) No wait. Here, I’ve got some paper work. I’ve been carrying it around with me… not knowing how I was going to…
MORT: Paperwork? What kind of paperwork?
LILLY: Guardianship papers.
SOUND: PAPER UNFOLDING – LET IT FINISH
LILLY: I have to put your name here.
SOUND: PEN SCRATCHING – LET IT FINISH
LILLY: And get you to sign it… here.
MORT: (BEAT)
LILLY: Don’t get cold feet now, Mort. Not after you made that pretty speech.
MORT: I won’t. I… Promise me you won’t give up Lil. We can go through this together.
LILLY: Mort, it’s always been easy for you to see the right thing to do. You play at being above right and wrong. But underneath you’re such a boy-scout. Let’s not talk about this until tomorrow, huh? For tonight, sign the papers so I can rest easy.
MORT: Alright, Lil.
SOUND: SCRATCHING OF PEN – LET IT FINISH
SOUND: DOOR OPENS – LET IT FINISH
SOFIA: She’s in bed and asking for you, Lil.
LILLY: Did you say goodbye?
SOFIA: She’ll cry herself to sleep for a bit, but yes, I did. I think she’ll understand.
LILLY: Okay. Look after yourself. I’ve never met a real Romany before.
SOFIA: Not many have. The true Romany are rare and getting rarer.
MORT: You know you would be welcome to stay.
SOFIA: That’s nice of you to say Mort, but you’ve got enough on your plate if that document on the table is what I think it is. Goodnight to you both.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 34: INT – KITCHEN – MORNING
(MORT, CLAUDETTE)

SOUND: FRYPAN, COOKING NOISES – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
CLAUDETTE: (YAWNING) Good morning.
MORT: Morning. I hope you like flapjacks. We’re pretty much out of everything else.
CLAUDETTE: Yum. Is mom up yet?
MORT: I haven’t seen her. But we should let her sleep.
CLAUDETTE: Okay. What’s this?
MORT: Hmmm?
CLAUDETTE: There’s a letter on the table. It’s addressed to me.
MORT: I don’t know. It must have been put there during the night. Did Sofia leave it behind?
CLAUDETTE: No. It’s mom’s handwriting.
SOUND: ENVELOPE BEING TORN OPEN – LET IT FINISH
SOUND: LETTER BEING UNFOLDED – LET IT FINISH.
CLAUDETTE: Oh, no!
SOUND: RUNNING CLAUDETTE FOOTSTEPS – FADE.
CLAUDETTE: (AT A DISTANCE) Mom! Mom! Oh, no! Please! Mom!
MORT: What? Claudette?
CLAUDETTE: (RETURNING) She’s gone. Really gone. She’s left her flower behind. She’s left us.
MORT: Let me see that letter…
LILLY: (FILTERED ECHOING) Dear Claudette,
I’m sorry I didn’t have the courage to tell you to your face. I’m sick. So sick that I can’t take care of you anymore. So sick that I have to leave. It’s not your fault. You didn’t do anything to deserve this. Sometimes life is cruel.
I have to go, but I’ve left you with Mort and he’ll take care of you. He won’t understand why I’ve gone either. But he’s a good man and he cares about you and won’t let you down.
Please believe me when I say this isn’t your fault. I love you so much. Too much.
I hope you can forgive me, one day.
– Mom.
P.S Tell Mort this isn’t his fault either.
MORT: Damn it, Lil! (BEAT) Claudette!
CLAUDETTE: Mort?
MORT: (GENTLY) Come here. Oh, Claudette. I’m so sorry.
CLAUDETTE: We’ve got to find her.
MORT: We’ll try.
CLAUDETTE: Don’t leave me alone.
MORT: I won’t. Your mom asked me to take care of you, and I will. She signed papers making me your guardian.
CLAUDETTE: Did you know she was going to do this?
MORT: No. I knew she was sick, and that it was going to get worse. I knew she was dying…
CLAUDETTE: Dying!!?
MORT: She should have told you, Claudette. And she was scared. (BEAT) But I promise you, I didn’t know she was going to leave.
CLAUDETTE: She kept saying she was fine. But I didn’t believe her. She always says things are fine when they aren’t. (BEAT) Are you going to leave?
MORT: No.
CLAUDETTE: Promise.
MORT: Yes. If you want to stay with me. Do you?
CLAUDETTE: Do I have to call you Dad?
MORT: No. Mort’s fine.
CLAUDETTE: Good. That would feel weird. (BEAT) Okay, yes. I want to stay with you. When do we start looking for mom?
MORT: As soon as you’ve had some breakfast. She’s only got a couple of hours head start.
CLAUDETTE: Where will we look?
MORT: Can you feel where she is? Get a vision?
CLAUDETTE: No. Granny told me all those things I said I saw with visions. She made me promise not to say where I learned them so I pretended I had visions to convince mom she needed to trust you.
MORT: Oh. (BEAT) Claudette, this is important. If this is going to work, you can’t lie to me. Not ever. Do you understand?
CLAUDETTE: Alright.
MORT: As for finding your mom. I think there’s someone I can see, but it’s going to cost me a favour or two. And there are some things I have to sort out.
CLAUDETTE: To stop from being placed under a spell?
MORT: Yeah.
CLAUDETTE: It worked out last time. Can’t we go right away?
MORT: No. It nearly didn’t work out last time. So, we’re going to do this right.
CLAUDETTE: Okay. Do it right. But I want to go, now.
MORT: After breakfast. (BEAT) Eat!
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 35: EXT – STREET – MORNING
(MORT, CLAUDETTE)

SOUND: TRAFFIC, ETC. WALKING – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
SOUND: DOOR CLOSING – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: Well that didn’t go well.
CLAUDETTE: Huh?
MORT: The bank thinks I’m dead – that I died in the explosion at my office. All my accounts have been frozen. They wouldn’t give me any money.
CLAUDETTE: What’s that mean?
MORT: It means I’ve got nothing except the seventy-five cents in my pocket until I can prove I’m alive.
CLAUDETTE: How do you do that?
MORT: It’s not something I’ve ever had to do before, so I’ve got no idea. We’ll have to wing it, I guess.
CLAUDETTE: We’ll be fine.
MORT: I’m glad you think so.
CLAUDETTE: It’s always like this… after a war.
MORT: Huh?
CLAUDETTE: I’ve read books.
MORT: Uh-huh.
CLAUDETTE: Yeah, there’s always a price paid by the people who fight it. (BEAT) The people who stay behind… they don’t realise. But the ones who fight… and live… they pay a price. They always pay a price.
MORT: You’re a wise kid, Claudette. Do you think it’s ever worth it? The price?
CLAUDETTE: Yeah, when it’s about survival. Maybe some people don’t deserve the chances they get, but lots of people are just people, trying to live and get by as best they can.
MORT: And it doesn’t bother you that they don’t know?
CLAUDETTE: They mightn’t ever know what we did or be grateful… but it was still worth it. And on some days, when the sun’s out, you can’t help feeling a bit hopeful; like, maybe, people are worth saving.
CHARITY WORKER: (APPROACHING) Donations! Donations! Anything for charity, Mister. The soup kitchens could use anything you can spare.
MORT: Here.
SOUND: MONEY BEING DROPPED IN TIN – LET IT FINISH.
CHARITY: Bless you, Mister. (FADES)
CLAUDETTE: How much did you give them.
MORT: My last seventy-five cents.
CLAUDETTE: But…
MORT: Like you said, we’ll be fine.
CLAUDETTE: Hey I know how we could make some money… once we get mom.
MORT: Yeah, how’s that?
CLAUDETTE: Mom taught me the ring hustle… and the friendship bracelet. We could lift a few wallets that way?
MORT: Sheesh, kid. You should be in school, not running hustles on the street.
CLAUDETTE: Mom gave up sending me to school two years ago. I kept getting kicked out.
MORT: Why’s that?
CLAUDETTE: I kept reading my teachers’ minds. It scared them too much.
MORT: I get that. I think it’d scare me too if you could read mine. But I’m going to talk to your mom about putting you back in school when we find her.
CLAUDETTE: Why? I can read, and I’m good at numbers.
MORT: There’s more to an education than reading and arithmetic. I want you to get a proper chance in life.
CLAUDETTE: Ugh. School. (BEAT) I don’t know why I can’t read your mind. It’s weird not knowing what you think.
MORT: Maybe it’s like Madame Sofia said. Maybe our gifts only work on ordinary people.
CLAUDETTE: What’s your gift, Mort?
MORT: I can talk to dead people.
JAKE: You most definitely can.
MORT: Jake! (TO CLAUDETTE) Jake’s back.
JAKE: Still think I’m a figment of your imagination?
MORT: I saw you get sucked through that portal, and here you are. Not a scratch on you. So, yeah. I think you’re in my head.
JAKE: And I saw you put your last couple of quarters in that charity tin. Nothing’s ever what it looks like. If I’m not real, why am I back?
MORT: I don’t think I need you anymore, Jake. I think… I think this is goodbye. I’m pretty sure I won’t be seeing you again after this.
JAKE: You think so, huh? We’ll see. For now I’m gonna stick around and watch over the little one with you. I think your gonna need my help. At least until we find her mother.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH

SCENE 36: EXT – A DIMENSION FAR FAR AWAY – SOME TIME
(SCRAT, SCRUG)

SOUND: SORTING THROUGH RUBBLE. FLAMES AND PAIN FILLED WAILING IN BACKGROUND – ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
SCRAT: I hate this place. It’s colder and darker than even the last world. There aren’t even stars.
SCRUG: The walls are thicker, too. There are no windows here. No way to see into other worlds.
SCRAT: And we are still slaves, doing the bidding of our masters.
SCRUG: Be careful what you say. See the way the rebels have been dealt with?
SOUND: BRIEFLY FADE UP THE WAILING AND BACK DOWN – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
SCRUG: They are being carved up to create music for our masters, a symphony of pain designed to last a thousand years.
SCRAT: Bah! Why should I care? They were stupid and have received the compensation they were due. There is no food here. No souls to feed on. It won’t be long before we are eating each other again, like in the worst of times past.
SCRUG: It is our way. To the strongest of us go the spoils.
SCRAT: And today our task is gathering up the elements of “contamination” that came through the portal with us on behalf of our “betters”.
SCRUG: A task you would do well to concentrate on more fully.
SCRAT: Bah! Gathering trinkets to burn for our “fearful” leaders, so embarrassed by their failures that they wish to gather and destroy the evidence against the possibility that future generations might know of their humiliation.
SCRUG: (FEARFUL) Lower your voice!
SCRAT: We should be sifting this material. Trying to learn what we can so that we can one day return and be revenged on the mortals who put us here.
SCRUG: Pretty words. But nonsense. Do your job.
SCRAT: Hmmm. What’s this?
SCRUG: Some paper. Throw it on the fire.
SCRAT: Paper. Yes. A paper with words on it. Words of power. Ritual words.
SCRUG: We have our orders.
SCRAT: You are a fool. This paper is too valuable to burn. It might be the very thing we are looking for.
SCRUG: It’s going on the fire.
SOUND: PAPER IGNITES AND BURNS – LET IT FINISH
SCRAT: You imbecile. Do you have any idea what you have done?
SCRUG: I’ve done my job.
SCRAT: Your job? You’ve doomed us all. I am going to kill you.
SCRUG: No. No! You are not… Aaaargh!
SOUND: WET SLICING NOISE FOLLOWED BY CHOMPING NOISES – LET IT FINISH.
SCRAT: Delicious.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.
NARRATOR: And so, gentle listener. Our story comes to an end… for now. We do hope you’ve enjoyed it.
MUSIC: CLOSING THEME – LET IT FINISH.

THE END.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Philip Craig Robotham grew up in a house full of books and has held numerous jobs as a teacher, computer programmer, graphic and web designer, an e-learning consultant and, most recently, writer. He currently lives in Victoria, Australia with his wife and two sons. When he was younger and fitter he enjoyed martial arts, but in recent years his hobbies have tended towards more sedate fare (board games, movies, books, and role-playing games).

He is extremely grateful for the encouragement he receives from his biggest fans — his wife and two boys — all of whom read and enjoy his scripts and, in general, make his life worth living.

You can contact the author regarding performance rights (or simply to say hello) through his website: https://www.weirdworldstudios.com.

THE END

###

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This post and all its content is copyright © 2013 Philip Craig Robotham and has been released under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) license. This play cannot be reproduced, shared, or performed commercially without the written permission of the author. The production of derivative content, merchandise, or creative works and materials is expressly forbidden under this agreement. However you may share, reproduce, and perform this play freely so long as authorship is acknowledged, no money changes hands, and the play is not modified in any way.

The post Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 5 – Wrack and Ruin appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 4 – The Center Won’t Hold

Philip Robotham — Thu, 28 Apr 2022 13:18:41 +0000

Below we present the complete text of The Center Won’t Hold; episode 4 of Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War.

The Center Won’t Hold

Parental Guidance Recommended: May contain content some parents may feel is inappropriate for younger children

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #4 – The Center Won’t Hold

by Philip Craig Robotham

Cover illustration by Philip Craig Robotham

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Edition.

CC by-nc-nd 4.0

Other works by this author can be found at the author’s website: https://weirdworldstudios.com or through select, online book retailers.

Episode 4: The Center Won’t Hold

The Center Won’t Hold

CAST LIST

MORT FLINTWICH

JAKE SPENCER

CAESAR CORDOVA

MADAM SOFIA MALEFICENT

LILLY MORELAND

CLAUDETTE MORELAND

WU CHENG

OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING

BRUNO

JULIO

SANCHO

LITTLE GIRL IN TRAFFIC

JIMMY

STAN

CHARITY COLLECTOR

DOCTOR

RECEPTIONIST

WAITRESS

CUSTOMER #1

CUSTOMER #2

WOMAN (KNOCKED OVER BY LILLY AND SANCHO)

MRS HARGREAVES

POLICEMAN #1 (WHO DIES)

POLICEMAN #2 (AT WAREHOUSE)

POLICEMAN #3 (AT WAREHOUSE)

SCRUG

SCRAT

OUTWORLDER #3

OUTWORLDER CAESAR

OUTWORLDER (RIVAL TO THE SPOKESBEING)

OUTWORLDER MINION (KILLED WITH SWORD ON STREET CORNER)

OUTWORLDER MINION (ATTACKING LILLY)

OUTWORLDERS

GANGSTER SPOKESMAN

GANGSTERS

OUTWORLDER LEADER

SFX ARTISTS

SCENE 22: INT – CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – MIDNIGHT
(CAESAR, OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING/ OUTWORLDER CAESAR, BRUNO)

MUSIC: OPENING THEME – LET IT FINISH
NARRATOR: Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War, Episode 4: The Center Won’t Hold.
It’s 1934 and Star City is a depression-era town gripped by unemployment and crime, but in its shadows a hidden but desperate war for the future of the human race has begun.
Previously:
Mort Flintwich, a medium-for-hire who pretends to be a charlatan, finds Lilly and Claudette Moreland, two women hunted by the crime-boss Caesar Cordova, and takes them to his safe-house.
Cordova attempts to summon monsters – outworlders – from another dimension to help him win the gang war he is embroiled in and sends them after his enemies.
Mort, Lilly and Claudette, escape the outworlder attack and the outworlders prepare to hunt down Cordova himself.
Meanwhile, Cordova waits with some trepidation for news regarding the progress of his war.
SOUND: MURMUR OF GANGSTER VOICES IN BACKGROUND AT CORDOVA’S HQ – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
BRUNO: Thanks, Javier. I’ll let the boss know.
SOUND: PHONE HANGING UP – LET IT FINISH
BRUNO: Boss, the phones are running hot. I’ve got reports from all over the city.
CAESAR: How are we doing?
BRUNO: Boscone and Tremere… Their whole operation… It’s falling apart. The bosses themselves are confirmed dead. We are mopping up their men.
CAESAR: It sounds like victory is approaching.
BRUNO: Boss, you did it. We’ve won.
CAESAR: Not yet, we haven’t. This is good, but the creatures we set loose in the city–?
BRUNO: What do you mean?
CAESAR: If they can do this to Boscone and Tremere’s organisations in one night, what else will they do when they are free?
BRUNO: But they’re doing what you want, right?
CAESAR: I haven’t tested my power to control them yet. I think it would be better to send them back, instead.
BRUNO: I’d rest easier without things like that in the world. Can it be done?
CAESAR: Maybe. You heard the gypsy woman. Without the girl, Claudette, we don’t have the power we need to control them. We’ve got to push them back through that door we created.
BRUNO: But that door’s gone. It collapsed.
CAESAR: I know. We have to open it again. And this time I have to push the ones that came here back while making sure no others come through at the same time.
BRUNO: Sounds tricky, boss. What do you need?
CAESAR: I always could rely on you, Bruno. Get those mirrors set up again. And make sure the candles are lit.
BRUNO: Anything else?
CAESAR: Marble’s too easy to scuff, so we need to check that the magical circle is still complete – no gaps. I need to make sure I get the words right, too. They will start arriving back here soon.
BRUNO: Sure boss.
SOUND: WHOOSHING, HOWLING APPROACHING – ESTABLISH UNDER AND STOP AT 27
CAESAR: Too late. Here they come.
SPOKESBEING: Oh, human. You disappoint me.
CAESAR: Why’s that, monster?
SPOKESBEING: It took a Chinese emperor with three times your power and ability to banish us from the earth the first time… and you’re trying to do it here?
CAESAR: Lets just say we’re highly motivated.
SPOKESBEING: I can’t work out whether you’re brave, reckless, or too ignorant and stupid to be allowed to live. Perhaps you’re all three.
BRUNO: Hey, monster, you can’t talk to the boss that way.
SPOKESBEING: I’ll speak any way I want to. In fact, the only thing I can’t do is this. I can’t abide mewling meat-sacks that don’t know their place.
BRUNO: (GASPS) Urk.
SPOKESBEING: (TO CORDOVA) Do you think you’ll miss this man when I kill him? Hmmmm? Let’s find out–
CAESAR: No!
SOUND: WET TEARING NOISE – LET IT FINISH
SOUND: TWO WET THUMPS – LET IT FINISH
CAESAR: Bruno!
SPOKESBEING: Oh, you will miss him. I guess you feel it’s a pity I tore him apart. Well, it’s too late now.
CAESAR: I’m going to kill you monster. I’m going to… urk!
SPOKESBEING: You’re going to hold your tongue, weakling. And if you don’t, I may take it for a trophy. There are far worse things I can do to you than kill you, you know?
In fact, can you feel that? That’s me sliding into your brain–
CAESAR: No–
SPOKESBEING: …taking over this ridiculous piece of meat you call a body–
CAESAR: (WEAKENING) No–
SPOKESBEING: Possessing you.
CAESAR: (LAST DITCH EFFORT) No! I… must… resist. I must… call for… (FILTERED WITH REVERB) Help!
SOUND: MAGICAL BAMF! – LET IT FINISH
OUTWORLDER CAESAR*: Oh, you did have some power, didn’t you? But almost no idea of how to use it. Minions?

*(THE TWO VOICES – CAESAR AND THE SPOKESBEING – SPEAK SIMULTANEOUSLY AS ONE TO CREATE THE OUTWORLDER CAESAR’S SPEECH)

SCRAT: Master!
SCRUG: Yes, Master!
OUTWORLDER #3: What is your bidding?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: This weakling is more interesting than I thought.
SCRAT: Master?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: I’m looking around inside his head and… oh my… he’s a leader, with lots of troops at his command. He’s fighting me but… perfect!
SCRAT: What have you found?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: He has a family he wants to protect. If you want them to survive long enough to be eaten last, human… Well, then you had better stop fighting me. (BEAT) Ah! That’s more like it. I see you understand.
SCRUG: What are your orders, master?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (TO SCRAT) There is a woman upstairs and unconscious. She is being kept as leverage over that human who vanished. Keep her for now – her usefulness is not yet over.
SCRAT: Is there anything else of use to us?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (BEAT) Oh yes, we can use this Caesar Cordova… and… Oh, dear! This is too delicious. He sent out a powerful summons across the city for aid. Everyone in the city who has abilities will have received it. BWAHAHAHAHA!
SCRUG: Why are you laughing, master?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Most of the weak ones will come. They won’t be able to help themselves.
OUTWORLDER #3: But master–
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Idiots! Don’t you see. They are weak. And they are coming right to us. The most delicious food in the city is coming right to us!
OUTWORLDERS: (LAUGHING) BWAHAHAHAHA!
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 23: EXT – STREETS OF STAR CITY – PRE-DAWN
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE, JAKE)

SOUND: HUM OF STREET LAMPS, DISTAT SIRENS, OCCASIONAL DISTANT CARS – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS (MORT, LILLY, AND CLAUDETTE) HURRYING ALONG STREET – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
LILLY: (COUGHING) It sounds like the city’s on fire.
MORT: Something’s wrong. Those sirens are everywhere, not just the warehouse.
LILLY: Where do those things come from?
CLAUDETTE: The outworlders? They come from somewhere else. Somewhere not our world.
LILLY: (SCOFFING) Like another planet?
CLAUDETTE: No. More like another space. A cold place. Dark… and scary.
LILLY: This isn’t the time to let your imagination run wild, Claudette.
MORT: No, I think she’s right. They’ve been arriving for a while… growing in numbers.
CLAUDETTE: There have never been this many of them before?
MORT: Ah-huh. Like I said, I think this is Cordova’s doing. He’s done something to let them in. I hope he can send them back once they’re done.
CLAUDETTE: He can’t.
MORT: How do you know?
CLAUDETTE: Remember what they said at the warehouse? About being too powerful to send back. I don’t know how I know, but I know they’re right.
LILLY: Mort, you can’t take everything Claudette says at face value.
MORT: Huh?
CLAUDETTE: Mom!
LILLY: She never lies deliberately. But she does convince herself of things that aren’t true and then–
CLAUDETTE: Mom… I’m not–
SOUND: MAGICAL BAMF – LET IT FINISH.
MORT, LILLY, AND CLAUDETTE: (GROAN IN SUDDEN SIMULTANEOUS PAIN)
MORT: Not again!
CLAUDETTE: Mr Cordova’s trying to send them back.
MORT: I don’t think it’s working, though.
LILLY: Your noses. They’re bleeding again!
MORT: Yours too.
CORDOVA: (ECHOING) Help!
CLAUDETTE: We have to go!
MORT: Claudette, no!
LILLY: What? What’s happening?
CLAUDETTE: (URGENT) We have to go! Now!
MORT: No, Claudette. Resist the summons.
LILLY: (GETTING ANGRY) Claudette, stop this!
CLAUDETTE: (PANICKED) No, I have to go.
SOUND: CLAUDETTE STARTS RUNNING – UNDER
MORT: Stop! Damnit!
SOUND: MORT RUNS – UNDER UNTIL [107].
SOUND: STRUGGLE – UNDER UNTIL [108]
MORT AND CLAUDETTE: (AD LIB) GRUNTS, No! Got you! Etc.
SOUND: BODY DROP – LET IT FINISH
MORT AND CLAUDETTE: (GRUNT).
LILLY: You crash tackled my daughter!
MORT: Stay still, Claudette. The urgency will pass.
CLAUDETTE: But I have to–
MORT: Ow! My face.
CLAUDETTE: Get off… you–
LILLY: Claudette! What’s happening?
MORT: The compulsion. It’s fading. (TO CLAUDETTE) Easy, now. Are you okay?
CLAUDETTE: (BREATHING HEAVY) Yes. I think so. It’s easing off.
LILLY: What’s easing off? Someone tell me what’s going on?
MORT: Sorry, Lil. Cordova sent out a… a kind of psychic summons. Claudette wasn’t able to resist.
LILLY: He tried to take my little girl– magically?
MORT: Sort of. I don’t think it was targeted. I got it too.
LILLY: So why weren’t you–?
MORT: I’m older, and we’re a fair way away from its source… and I’m more practiced at resisting.
LILLY: And me? I didn’t feel anything.
MORT: Are you sure about that?
LILLY: Of course, I’m–
MORT: You’re bleeding again.
CLAUDETTE: Um… and you’re pretty heavy.
MORT: What? Oh, sorry Claudette. Here, let me help you up.
LILLY: Oh, Mort. Your face. Claudette scratched you.
MORT: Hmmm? Wow. Blood. You want to do something about those nails, kid.
CLAUDETTE: (MORTIFIED) I’m so sorry.
MORT: Don’t worry about it. I can give you a pass. You saved our bacon back in the sewers after all… but I’m glad you missed my eyes.
LILLY: I’m getting too old for this! All I want is a shot at Cordova – one clear shot… And you… You’re not what I thought. I’ve been expecting you to take off. Instead you let my daughter gouge a hole in your face.
MORT: Yeah, well. I can afford the makeover. My looks have never been my strong point.
LILLY: (HEAVY COUGHING)
MORT: Easy, Lil. Chinatown isn’t much further.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 24: INT – WU CHENG’S HOUSE – MID MORNING
(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE, WU)

SOUND: WINDOW RAISES – LET IT FINISH
LILLY: (COUGHING) Seriously, Mort? Going in by the window?
MORT: No-one was answering the door. Besides, Claudette can barely stand up. We need to get off the street.
LILLY: I told you we should have rested.
MORT: Yeah, yeah. Come on. (BEAT) Claudette, give me your hands honey.
CLAUDETTE: Yawns.
MORT: That’s it. In you come. (BEAT) Now you, Lil.
LILLY: I can climb in myself, thank you.
MORT: I never said you couldn’t.
SOUND: CRASH – LET IT FINISH.
LILLY: Ugh! Ouch. (BEAT) If either of you so much as smile, I’m gonna rip your throats out. And I don’t care if I did give birth to one of you.
MORT: Never crossed my mind.
CLAUDETTE: Swear.
LILLY: (GETTING UP) What the hell happened here?
MORT: What do you… oh!
CLAUDETTE: This place is trashed.
LILLY: It still looks more like a medium’s den than your office did, Mort. Tapestries, masks hanging on the wall, candles. The wreckage of that table’s even got a crystal ball in it.
MORT: Damn. It looks like those things must have hit here too. (BEAT) But that doesn’t make sense.
LILLY: How so?
MORT: Well, from what we’ve been able to figure out, those creatures were sent after Cordova’s enemies. I doubt he’s ever even heard of Wu!
SOUND: MUFFLED CRASHING AND BANGING – LET IT FINISH
LILLY: What the?
CLAUDETTE: Mom? Mort? I’m scared.
MORT: It’s all right. It came from over here. (BEAT) Does this wall seem a little… dense to you?
LILLY: (COUGHS) I’m pretty sure it’s not normal for a doorway to be a foot and a half thick.
MORT: Tug on that candle holder for me, would you?
LILLY: This?
MORT: Yeah, that?
SOUND: SQUEAK THEN GRINDING OF WALL OPENING – LET IT FINISH
WU CHENG: (EXAGGERATED ACCENT) Ah, honorable one’s, I am your humble servant, Wu Cheng. How may I help you?
MORT: Well, well. Fancy finding you here, Wu… and drop the showmanship, we’re not tourists.
WU: (DROPPING THE ACCENT) Hmmm. Mort Flintwich. Good to see you. (BEAT) Are those shoes around your shoulders covered in… blood?
MORT: Uh-huh. Long story. What’s with the hidden compartment in the wall?
WU: Meh. I was hiding. What does it look like?
MORT: It looks like the kind of thing us charlatans use to listen in on, and observe, our clients before we begin a session.
WU: What can I say? Real ghosts have been getting more and more scarce. I have to pay the bills. (BEAT) And I know that you’re no charlatan, by the way, Flintwich. No matter what you say.
MORT: Yeah, well. Do me a favour and keep it under your hat. I won’t mention this to anyone and we’ll call it even.
LILLY: Well, it’s nice to see you boys know each other. (COUGHING) But I need to give Claudette somewhere to sit down.
WU: And you don’t look too well yourself, Ma’am.
LILLY: Hey!
WU: But I don’t have any furniture handy… having broken most of mine up. Feel free to scrape some aside and sit on the floor.
MORT: Ever the gracious host.
WU: Hey, you broke into my house, not the other way around.
MORT: And why’s it look like this?
WU: You felt the summons. And you must have felt those things flying all over the city. I thought I’d make it look like one of their groups got me, and try to get out of town.
MORT: Not a stupid thing to do.
WU: I thought, maybe, it would buy me a bit of time. I was about to leave when you rang the damn doorbell.
MORT: Sorry to mess with your plans, Wu, but I need your help.
WU: (INTERESTED) Really? What’s the job pay?
CLAUDETTE: I could give you one of my paper flowers?
LILLY: Not now, Claudette.
WU: Thanks little girl, but that’s not the kind of currency I’m interested in. Maybe another time.
MORT: How’s a big favour sound?
WU: Not as good as cold hard cash. You have some for me?
MORT: Easy, Wu. I’m not a rich man, and what I’ve got, I need to keep for a rainy day.
WU: If that was your office that was blown up earlier today – yesterday now, I guess – I’d say it’s raining pretty hard.
MORT: Maybe, so. But wait ’til you hear what I want before you start negotiations, huh? I might even be offering you the chance to become a hero.
WU: Hah! Do I look like a hero, to you?
LILLY: He’s got a point, you know? We did find him hiding inside a wall. (TO CLAUDETTE) Here, Claudette. Sit down and rest.
MORT: (SARCASM) Thanks for that, Lil. (BEAT) Alright, I’ll stick to appealing to your self-interest.
WU: Always a good policy.
MORT: Uh-huh. (BEAT) Well, here goes. Here’s the theory: Caesar Cordova has started dabbling in some dangerous juju. He was being rubbed out by his rivals and decided to try and summon some supernatural artillery. I got dragged into this because he wants Claudette, the little girl–
CLAUDETTE: (YAWNING) I ain’t so little?
WU: She’s powerful, yes?
MORT: Yes. But she’s not in full control of her abilities yet. And Caesar wants her to power a spell or incantation.
WU: And you have her because?
MORT: I’ve been helping keep her safe. Cordova couldn’t find her. He attempted his spell without enough juice. The things he summoned have got loose in the city… and we think this book–
SOUND: HEAVY BOOK BEING PUT DOWN – LET IT FINISH
MORT: …might be the key to sorting this mess out.
WU: Those are a lot of guesses and surmises, Mr Flintwich. And you haven’t gotten to what you think I can contribute, yet. (BEAT) (ASTOUNDED) Where did you get this?
MORT: Claudette. She was led to it by a vision she had.
WU: A vision?
CLAUDETTE: (EMBARRASSED) Well, sort of–
WU: Hmmm. Let me look.
SOUND: BOOK BEING OPENED. PAGES TURNING – UNDER
WU: Yes, this is… astonishing. Do you know what this book is?
MORT: I recognize the text, but I can’t read it. That’s what I want from you… a translation. Anything that might help us reverse what is going on.
WU: Reverse? This isn’t like you Flintwich. You stick your neck out for nobody.
MORT: Yeah, well. Let’s say I’m compelled by circumstances.
WU: Compelled by… let me take a proper look at you? (BEAT) Hmmm. You’re under a compulsion. A binding pact of some kind… but that’s not all of it. Well, well. You believe in what you’re doing don’t you? I think these women have woken up your inner boy-scout. It’s been a while.
MORT: Wu, so help me–
WU: (IMPATIENT) Shhhh! Let me look at your book. Yes… Yes… this is a copy of an ancient text. The original from which this book was copied was supposed to have belonged to the first of the great Chinese Emperors.
MORT: And–
WU: You should hear the legend. It explains much. And I am willing to tell it to you… on one condition–
MORT: (SUSPICIOUS) Uh-huh?
WU: You must admit to me that I am the better medium.
MORT: What?
WU: That is my price.
MORT: (GROANS) Oh for crying out… (BEAT) Right. If that’s what it takes. (BEAT) Oh mighty Wu Cheng, you are by far the greatest of all living mediums upon the face of the earth.
WU: (SULKING) But that wasn’t even remotely satisfying. You didn’t mean a word of it.
MORT: Wu, so help me… I did what you asked, now do what you promised.
WU: Hmpf. Next time I stick to asking for cash.
MORT: Wu–?
WU: Alright. In the time of the first great emperor, a great invasion occurred. But not of men. Things came into the world and laid waste to much that was beautiful, noble, and strong.
MORT: Pretty standard folklore so far.
WU: The emperor gathered magicians and sorcerers from far and wide, a coalition, to fight against the invaders and together they worked great magic, inventing new and dangerous spells that were able to withstand the encroachment of these beings.
LILLY: That sounds more encouraging.
WU: At last they developed a way to banish them from the earth altogether into another plane, a place of howling cold and darkness. The emperor opened a gateway into the mirror realm and the creatures poured through and were sucked into the darkness.
MORT: Hang on. What do you mean by the “mirror realm”?
WU: Behind mirrors there is a place… a plane into which the invaders have been locked. But the barrier is weak.
MORT: How so?
WU: It is said that if you stare into a mirror or a still body of water for long enough, you can see them. Your own reflection will give way to that of a monster.
LILLY: Nice.
WU: And if mirrors are set up facing one another a temporary and unstable gate can be created that will allow one or two of them to come through.
MORT: And?
WU: The secret to creating a stable gate, however, was, with many other rituals, recorded in a book the emperor had inscribed upon the bones of the many dead who sacrificed their lives in the war. The book was thought lost. But this claims to be a copy of it.
CLAUDETTE: It does? (BEAT) I mean, I told you.
MORT: Then translate it for us. We can stop Cordova before this gets any worse.
LILLY: Hang on a minute. I don’t understand. If these things are locked away in some other… place, how is it that they are showing up here? Does this mean that Cordova knows the gate ritual?
MORT: That’s a good question.
WU: I think that if there is one copy of the book, then there may be others. But I do not understand how an ordinary gangster came to possess one.
MORT: Is it possible someone else is helping him?
WU: Maybe. As for how and why they have been coming through before this, I believe I have a theory, or at least a working hypothesis.
MORT: Yes?
WU: Mirrors.
LILLY: Mirrors?
WU: When mirrors are placed face to face, creating an infinite line of reflections, unstable gates are created. They last moments but outworlders can re-enter our world through them.
LILLY: (CATCHING ON) And mirrors have been rare throughout human history, but in our modern age they’re everywhere. Reflections can be seen in glass and chrome and steel.
WU: Everywhere from houses to handbags. There are numerous opportunities for the creation of unstable, short term gates.
MORT: And that explains how more and more of these things have been seen?
WU: Yes. And why ghosts have become so scarce. The outworlders feed on the souls of human beings, both the living (if they are weak enough) and the dead, but the dead are easier to hunt and have less protection than the living.
CLAUDETTE: That’s awful.
MORT: Can you translate the rituals… give us a means to fight these things?
WU: Of course, I can. Am I not Wu Cheng? (BEAT) Fifty bucks.
MORT: What?
WU: My going rate for translating impossible ancient books is fifty bucks.
MORT: I don’t believe this!
WU: I am a business man. You can’t blame me for wanting to make a reasonable stake in exchange for my skills.
MORT: Even in the face of Armageddon? The world could end!
WU: Ah, yes. But you may succeed in stopping it. I mean, that is your intention, yes? And if you do stop Armageddon from happening… well, it seems fitting that my contribution earns me a few groceries at the least.
LILLY: Yeah, right. I oughta–
MORT: It’s okay, Lil. (TO WU) You’ll get your fifty, but only if your translation contains something worthwhile.
WU: Then you’d best let me work.
MUSIC: TIME PASSING SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH

SCENE 25: INT – WU CHENG’S HOUSE – LATER
(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE, WU)

SOUND: SNORING (LILLY AND CLAUDETTE)
WU: It’s a miracle I can do anything with those two buzz-saws in the room.
MORT: Leave them be, Wu. They haven’t slept in over thirty-six hours.
WU: As you say. I take it you know that the mother is dying, yes?
MORT: What? No. I mean, I knew she was sick, but–
WU: She doesn’t have much time left. The illness is advancing. Her aura indicates she is in a great deal of pain.
MORT: Aw hell.
WU: I’m sorry. But I thought you knew. She should not be running around the city. She needs to rest.
MORT: She won’t rest while Claudette’s in danger. And her desire to get even with Cordova is the only thing keeping her going right now. But she’ll be able to rest soon. What have you got, Wu?
WU: There are two rituals that may be of use to you. One is, of course, the banishing ritual, but it takes three sorcerers of, not insignificant power, to make it work.
MORT: Sounds perfect.
WU: The other is an exorcism that will dispossess a host body that has been taken over by one of them.
MORT: I didn’t know they could possess people.
WU: They can if they are gathered in sufficient numbers.
MORT: Is that all?
WU: No. It also talks about enchanted weapons. Weapons of polished iron that can be used to destroy the creatures in their incorporeal state.
MORT: Wait. You mean, they can be harmed by physical weapons even when they’re not in a physical form?
WU: If the weapon is made of polished iron… yes.
MORT: That’s great! But… no. Where can we find some polished iron?
WU: As it happens, I have two fine polished-iron swords. One thousand dollars.
MORT: Are you nuts? Where am I going to get a thousand dollars?
WU: (DEFENSIVE) They are antiques, dating back to ancient China. It is a fair price.
MORT: Come on Wu. We’re talking about the fate of the world.
WU: Cash up front.
MORT: I got through telling you–
LILLY: (WAKING UP) Ugh! Oh, I must have been sleeping funny. I’ve got the worst pain in the neck.
WU: I think she’s talking about you.
MORT: You’re a funny man, Wu!
CLAUDETTE: (YAWNS) Mom? Have we been asleep?
LILLY: What’s all the commotion about?
MORT: Wu wants a thousand dollars for some swords that might help us.
LILLY: So?
WU: See? She understands!
MORT: I don’t have a thousand dollars.
LILLY: I’ll tell you what, Wu. We’ll rent them from you.
WU: Rent?
LILLY: Uhuh. With a promise to bring them back to you in good condition. How about it? Do you agree?
WU: Three hundred dollars.
LILLY: Two hundred.
WU: Two seventy-five.
LILLY: Two hundred, plus the fifty for the translation.
WU: Done.
LILLY: (TO MORT) Pay the man.
MORT: It’s everything I have!
LILLY: Now who’s quibbling over money in the face of Armageddon?
MORT: (ANNOYED) Okay, I give in.
WU: Here are the ritual translations. I will go and get the swords.
MORT: Can the girls stay here while you and I go and deal with Cordova?
WU: (SIMULTANEOUS OVER LILLY) What? I’m not going to face Caesar Cordova. You’re on your own for that.
LILLY: (SIMULTANEOUS OVER WU) No way. You are not leaving us behind. We are coming with you if you are going to take Cordova down.
MORT: Whoah. I’m not even sure Cordova is still alive. That cry for help we received–
LILLY: Look, if he’s an ongoing threat to Claudette, we can’t ignore him. I’ve come too far to miss out on delivering some payback.
MORT: Well, he may have been attacked and killed. We don’t know.
WU: I know.
MORT: What?
WU: I know. I have been keeping an eye on him. (BEAT) (DEFENSIVE) What? You think I’d hang around here if I didn’t have a way to tell whether he was coming for me or not?
MORT: But we found you hiding in the wall.
WU: That was before you came and filled in the blanks. I didn’t know who was behind it at that stage. Knowing who to watch makes all the difference.
MORT: And–
WU: Cordova is alive and he is playing host to one of the creatures that came through when he attempted to make a gate.
MORT: Then all the more reason why you and I should–
WU: (EMPHATIC) No! I will not.
MORT: But I don’t have enough power to push them back through the gate alone.
WU: You don’t have enough power with me, either.
MORT: But–
CLAUDETTE: What about with me? I could do it.
WU: (APPRAISING) Maybe. For a little while.
MORT: No. That is not an option.
WU: It is an option. She wants to help. And with her it’s possible you might succeed.
MORT: But together–
WU: No. You and I, our abilities are negligible. The girl, however, her aura glows like a sun. Beside it we barely flicker. She could dispossess Cordova and his minions while you destroy them with my swords.
LILLY: Then that settles it. (COUGHING) If I understand things properly, and those things come through en masse, we’re all dead anyway. If you’re going to confront Cordova, we’re coming too.
MORT: Wu seems to be gambling on being able to hide.
WU: It’s a big world. Some few will survive.
LILLY: I don’t care about myself. Cordova must pay!
MORT: But why would you risk Claudette this way?
LILLY: What’s the bigger risk? Almost guaranteed destruction if we hide, verses at least a small chance of removing the threat if we come with you.
CLAUDETTE: I want to try.
MORT: But… but… Aw, hell.
WU: Give in. It is happening no other way.
MORT: Get the damn swords. But, I’m taking the book with me. And as for you two… you can come with me, but you’re going to have to do what I say and, if things get bad, you need to get the hell out of there – no waiting around for me, capiche?
LILLY AND CLAUDETTE: Sure Mort. Whatever you say.
MORT: No, I mean it. You have to do everything I say.
LILLY: Absolutely.
CLAUDETTE: You’re in charge, Mr Flintwich.
MORT: (DISBELIEVING) Argh!
LILLY: (BEAT)So why are you sticking your neck out? You like to think you’re as risk-averse as Wu here. (BEAT) Well?
MORT: (MUMBLING) I’m under a spell.
LILLY: What?
MORT: (CLEARLY) I’m under a spell. I traded a magically binding favour to a ghost in exchange for finding you in that alley. The price was to try and get rid of the Outworlders.
WU: (LAUGHING) You are inept at the art of bargaining, aren’t you?
MORT: I didn’t know what she was going to ask when I made the deal.
WU: (LAUGHING MORE) Even worse.
CLAUDETTE: Shut up! (TO WU) You’re a coward. You don’t have the right to speak to him that way. (TO MORT) And you… you’re just pretending you don’t care. You pretend we don’t matter… you… (BREAKS DOWN CRYING)
LILLY: Now look what you’ve done.
MORT: Claudette… Claudette, I’m sorry. It’s this place… this city. The older you get, the uglier it seems; the more you want to protect yourself from it. I’m not doing this just because of the spell. Really.
CLAUDETTE: (SNIFFING) I know. I can see when you’re lying – even when it’s to yourself. I thought, maybe, you were trying to hurt us – to force us away.
MORT: (BEAT) Your mom told me you make attachments fast, kid. Truth is, it turns out you’re not the only one. (BEAT) Are we okay?
CLAUDETTE: (GETTING HERSELF TOGETHER) Sure, Mr. Flintwich. We’re okay.
MORT: (SIGHS) Alright… (BEAT) There’s a way into Caesar’s HQ through the basement from the sewers.
LILLY: How’d you know?
MORT: I was brought in that way years ago, when I first made my deal with Cordova. Once inside, we can take a little used stairway up to a balcony that will give you line of sight for any magic that’s needed.
LILLY: And you?
MORT: I’ll have to be on the ground for my part. Whatever happens to me, I want you to stay hidden and get away at the first opportunity.
LILLY: (COUGHING) You’re a good soul Mort.
MORT: And you’ll need to do something about that cough. If you let one of those out at the wrong moment we’ll all be dead.
WU: Here are the swords. Be careful with them. They are valuable.
SOUND: CLANKING – LET IT FINISH
WU: Keep them in their sheaths for now.
MORT: Alright, it’s nine A.M. We’ll be on our way. Thanks Wu.
WU: Aren’t you forgetting something, Flintwich?
MORT: Huh?
WU: The money.
MORT: Oh, right. Um. Here.
SOUND: MONEY CHANGING HANDS – LET IT FINISH
WU: A pleasure doing business with you.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH

SCENE 26: INT – CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – MORNING
(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, THUGS)

SOUND: CHOMPING SLURPING NOM-NOM NOISES – ESTABLISH AND LET FINISH.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Ah! That was delicious.
SOUND: BODY DROP – LET IT FINISH.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Do we have another?
OUTWORLDER #1: Yes, master. Here. She’s blindfolded.
NAOMI WALKER: What? What are you? What do you want?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: We want you, my dear little medium. I believe your name is… Naomi Walker? You’ve come here in response to our… my… summons. (TO OUTWORLDER #1) Remove her blindfold and make her comfortable.
NAOMI: Thank you. I… Oh! So many bodies… So much death.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: The combination of fear and surprise gives the soul such a delicate flavour.
NAOMI: No… leave me alone. Stay away! Aaaargh (SCREAMS)
SOUND: CHOMPING SLURPING NOM-NOM NOISES – ESTABLISH AND LET IT FINISH
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Urk…
CAESAR: No! I will not… let you… Urk!
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: You are proving more resilient than I thought, pesky human. But you cannot (SLURP CHOMP) resist me. You grow weaker each time you try.
SOUND: CHOMPING NOISES – LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: BODY DROP – LET IT FINISH.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Mmmm. They are delicious. But ten minutes later, you want another one.
OUTWORLDER MINIONS: (LAUGHTER)
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (BEAT) Bring in the lieutenants. If they cooperate they will make excellent tools… and they’ll be easier to control than this mortal frame I am using – though he still has his uses.
SCRUG: Why not cast him aside?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: There’s too much useful information rattling around in this brain. Despite the way he struggles to unseat me, I doubt a more useful host could have been chosen.
SOUND: DOORS OPEN – LET IT FINISH.
GANGSTERS: (MUTTERING AS THEY ENTER) Get your claws off me. What’s this all about? When I get my hands on you–
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Gentlemen. You’ve had time to think about it, and now I want your answer. Will you pledge your loyalty to me?
GANGSTER #2: Go on Joey! Tell him.
GANGSTER #1: Boss, we always done what you said. And you always led us good. Nice paydays. No sucker jobs. And you kept the cops off our backs. And we’re grateful.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Yes?
GANGSTER #1: But this? Some of us was altar boys. We don’t keep with this “magic” stuff you’re doing. We don’t want to be swearing no pacts or nothing. We’re happy to collect our pay as always, but we gotta say “no” to this.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: You dare! You defy me! (BEAT) (TO THE OUTWORLDERS) Rip him apart!
SOUND: RUSHING WIND – UNDER UNTIL [420]
GANGSTER #3: (SCREAMING) Aaaaargh!
SOUND: WET TEARING AND DROP OF TWO BODY SECTIONS – LET IT FINISH
GANGSTER #4: He was torn in half.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: And he will not be the last. Your spokesman is dead. I suggest you reconsider my offer.
GANGSTER #4: Yeah, yeah, sure. Whatever you want. I pledge loyalty.
GANGSTER #5: Yeah, loyalty. I pledge it.
GANGSTER #6: You bet.
OUTWORLDER: You heard them, my brothers. Take control.
GANGSTERS: (ADLIB) What? Huh? Etc.
SOUND: RUSHING WIND – UNDER UNTIL 395
GANGSTERS: GROANS AND GRUNTS AS THEY ARE TAKEN OVER GANGSTER
OUTWORLDERS: We have control of these bodies.
*Voices are layered together.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Good! Now I have some jobs for you. This city is stratified. There are those in power and those who follow orders.
SCRUG: Not unlike our hives.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: If my plans are to be brought to fruition, then we must control those who control the people. Politicians, judges, officials in law enforcement and captains of industry.
SCRAT: Your orders?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: You are to go out and find our brethren and you are to use them to take over as many of these leaders as possible. If we control the population we can secure this city as a staging ground for the return of our people… and they will be easier to control and use for food.
GANGSTER OUTWORLDERS: Yes, master!
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: And one more thing… bring me the mortal called Madame Sofia. She is interesting to me. Interesting indeed! She knows how to open a gate to our plane of existence… and, she knows how to power it so that it remains open.
GANGSTER OUTWORLDER #1: Didn’t she come with these others?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: She is strong and resisted the summons. But this mortal body knows where she can be found.
GANGSTER OUTWORLDERS: We obey!
SOUND: RUSHING WIND, HOWLS ETC. – FADE
MUSIC: TIME PASSING SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 27: INT – CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – MORNING
(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, SOFIA, GANGSTER OUTWORLDER)

SOUND: DOORS OPEN – FOOTSTEPS – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
SOFIA: GRUNTS
GANGSTER OUTWORLDER: Bow before the master, witch!
SOFIA: Ugh. I am no witch! And you should have better manners.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: I see that my minions found you.
SOFIA: And I see you survived… somewhat. I take it that Caesar Cordova is no longer in control of that body?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: You are as perceptive as his memories led me to believe.
SOFIA: What should I call you?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: You may call me… Master.
SOFIA: Mmmm. No. I do not think so.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Pride? From a woman who lives in poverty and by her wits upon the streets of this uncaring city? (BEAT) I believe I will enjoy breaking you.
SOFIA: Many have tried. (BEAT) What do you want?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: You would do better to adopt a less insolent tone, mortal. You have knowledge that I need. A means of opening a permanent gate to the place we have been banished to.
SOFIA: Banished? So the legends are true. And what makes you think I will give you what you seek?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: I don’t believe you will give it to me. Instead I intend to take it. (BEAT) One of my minions has not yet gained a body to possess. You shall be his.
OUTWORLDER: Let me enter her, master. I am so hungry!
SOFIA: That thing there? Ha! Let him try!
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (BORED) She is yours.
SOUND: WOOSH – LET IT FINISH
SOUND: MAGICAL CHIME – LET IT FINISH
OUTWORLDER: Master, she resists me!
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: What? Impossible.
SOFIA: My spirit is well warded against the likes of you. None of you could take me over.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Insolent! You will obey me! Or I will…
SOFIA: You will what, oh mighty leader?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: You dare mock me? If I cannot have you taken over then I will have you killed. Your body has little protection.
SOFIA: And if you kill me, then what will you do? You need me.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Do you think so? We are ageless. And you must have seen that in this era of glass and steel, my kind have been finding their way back into this world.
SOFIA: Slowly. In dribs and drabs.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Your “assistance” will speed up a process that is already under way. I do not “need” you. (BEAT) And don’t be so sure that death is the only card I have in my hand to play. There are worse things than death.
SOFIA: More empty threats.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: I can inflict pain upon you such as you cannot begin to imagine. I can keep you on the edge of life in such agony that death will seem like the greatest of blessings rather than a threat.
OUTWORLDER: (LAUGHS MALICIOUSLY)
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Or I can give you to my minion here to torment and torture physically. He might not have the same finesse as I… but he would enjoy it.
SOFIA: And if I agree? What then? Torment and death, but delivered later?
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: What do you suggest?
SOFIA: I want to survive. I don’t care about this world or the people in it. I have wanted my revenge upon them for more years than I care to count. I have seen the future and it doesn’t belong to this worthless race of beings.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: Oh, but the petty malice of your species never fails to surprise me. And so?
SOFIA: Promise me that I will be left free to live my life in peace. You will want to farm those you conquer. To rule and feed off them. Promise me that I will never be enslaved and the world is yours to take.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: A world of billions of souls made accessible to my kind against one soul left free? That is acceptable. And you will perform the ritual?
SOFIA: I will, but we still require the girl.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (ROARING) Then our agreement is worth nothing. (TO OUTWORLDER) Kill her. Tear her apart.
SOFIA: Wait. She will come. Today. This very night. Search Cordova’s memory. He is exchanging the woman upstairs for the girl. The woman is leverage and the ritual will be far easier to perform with willing participants than not. Spare me and you will see… master.
OUTWORLDER CAESAR: (LAUGHS) Broken already? Then I will wait a little. If she does not come, you will know pain that few mortals have ever experienced.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 28: EXT – STREET – MID-MORNING
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SOUND: STREET AND PEDESTRIANS – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
MORT: …That’s the plan. You’ll have to follow it to the letter. Are you sure you still want to come with me?
LILLY: (COUGHING) You’re not doing it without us. In fact, it won’t work without us.
CLAUDETTE: Yeah.
LILLY: (BEAT) Weird isn’t it?
MORT: What?
LILLY: Look at all these people, going about their lives as if nothing’s happened… while we–
MORT: We wander around the streets with bloody boots dangling from our necks, a pair of magic swords wrapped up in a carpet, an ancient spell-book, and a bunch of guesses about a sorcerous mob-boss and an inter-planar invasion?
LILLY: (ARCHLY) Well, when you put it like that… (BEAT) What are we doing now?
MORT: Going back to the house so we can wash our boot soles, eat something, and get a little more shut-eye.
LILLY: Seriously?
MORT: Don’t forget, while you two got a couple of hours sleep at Wu’s place, I still haven’t closed my eyes for more than a few seconds during the last thirty six hours. And even with the little you’ve had, you and Claudette look like you could use some more rest.
LILLY: Thanks, Mort. I… I appreciate everything you’ve been doing for us.
MORT: Quiet. Quick into the doorway.
CLAUDETTE: What is it?
MORT: Those are some of Cordova’s guys… talking with a homicide detective with a small cloud of outworlders hovering nearby.
LILLY: What are they doing?
MORT: I’m not sure… Great Scott!
LILLY: What? What is it?
MORT: They’re recruiting.
LILLY: What?
MORT: One of the outworlders dived into the detective. He’s possessed.
LILLY: They’re taking people over?
MORT: Looks like. Hang-on. Duck!
CLAUDETTE: One of them’s sniffed something. He’s looking for us.
MORT: Stay still. Don’t even breathe.
LILLY: Look, the thugs and cop- They’re moving on.
MORT: (BREATHES) The outworlders are going with them, but that last one isn’t moving. (BEAT) Uh-oh. It’s coming this way.
OUTWORLDER: (APPROACHING) You think you can hide from me, mortals? Ha!
MORT: Stay back!
SOUND: MORT DRAWS SWORD – LET IT FINISH.
OUTWORLDER: You can see me! And you think that little pig sticker will do anything to deter me? Step aside, little man. It’s not you I’m after. I want the girl. You can walk away.
MORT: Like hell. Take that, monster! (GRUNTS WITH EFFORT) Ungh!
SOUND: FLESHY RIPPING NOISE – UNDER TO 524
OUTWORLDER: (SCREAMS) Aaargh! But how? How have you killed me? (FADES OUT)
LILLY: What? Is it gone?
MORT: It’s gone. The sword worked.
CLAUDETTE: I’m scared, Mort.
MORT: Don’t be, kid. This is the first encouraging thing that’s happened.
LILLY: (BEAT) Mort, I need to tell you something. It’s important. I feel like I owe it to you.
CLAUDETTE: (WARNING) Mom–?
MORT: It’s okay, Lil. I think I know. And you don’t have to–
LILLY: You know? How long–
MORT: A couple of hours. Wu was able to read your health from your aura and he told me that–
LILLY: (HURRIEDLY – TO PREVENT MORT SPILLING THE BEANS IN FRONT OF CLAUDETTE) No. I mean, that’s not it, and… that’s my business…
CLAUDETTE: Mom? What are you?–
LILLY: It’s okay, Claudette. No, Mort. It’s not that. It’s–
MORT: Is it about my office, then?
LILLY: How’d you even–?
MORT: Someone let Cordova know you’d come to see me. He hasn’t got a permanent watch on my place and you left my office pretty sore.
LILLY: Mort, I’m–
MORT: It’s okay. I was pretty angry before – about Jesse – and maybe I still am, but the building was insured and we’ve got much bigger problems now.
LILLY: I keep underestimating you, Mort. But that’s not it either. It’s about Jesse.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, don’t do this–?
MORT: About Jesse? What about Jesse?
LILLY: I… When… Back at that house you helped close down years ago. There was a girl who was brought in about the same time as me.
MORT: Jesse, right?
LILLY: We were friends. The owner was brutal and would beat us for the smallest mis-step. She took the blame for something I did and ended up in a coma. I’ve always felt I owed her.
MORT: Yeah, Jesse was like that. It’s why I’ve been looking after her all these years. I owe her from my days in the orphanage too.
LILLY: Mort. (STARTS COUGHING) The girl you’ve been looking after isn’t Jesse.
MORT: What?
CLAUDETTE: Mom, don’t. Please!
LILLY: Her name’s Lilly. I’m Jesse.
MORT: She’s not… But you’re… Aw, hell!
LILLY: Think about it a minute. You know it’s true. You’ve always suspected. Deep down.
MORT: (DEEPLY UPSET) What are you doing? Why’d you have to go and tell me this now?
LILLY: (COUGHING) I’m sorry Mort. If Mr. Wu told you… well, you know why. I couldn’t let you go on believing a lie. I want you to know I trust you… now.
MORT: Damn it, Lil… Jesse… what the hell should I call you?
LILLY: I’m Lilly now. Jesse’s been gone a long time.
MORT: (BITTERLY) Replaced by a grifter. I can’t believe you played me like this.
CLAUDETTE: Damn it, mom. You’re ruining everything.
LILLY: I’m sorry. I owed her so much. And I couldn’t help her. I had nothing. And when you didn’t recognize me right off, and you were so desperate to find Jesse, I thought you’d be able to get her some help.
MORT: You betrayed me.
LILLY: I didn’t know you were going to pay for her care yourself. And… then… once she was getting looked after… I couldn’t tell you. So I ran away.
MORT: (BEAT) (QUIETLY) Lil?
LILLY: Yeah?
MORT: Don’t talk to me for a while, okay?
LILLY: Okay.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, I hate you!
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 29: INT – THE SAFE HOUSE – EARLY MORNING
(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE)

SOUND: DOOR UNLOCKS AND OPENS – LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS ENTER – ESTABLISH AND STOP.
MORT: (SUBDUED) Home sweet home. Let’s get in and off the street.
JAKE: Well, at least you came home – eventually. Where the hell have you been? I’ve been waiting here for hours.
LILLY: This place looks like a hurricane hit it. Give me a minute, Mort. I’m gonna put Claudette to bed.
CLAUDETTE: (YAWNING) Goodnight, Mort.
MORT: Goodnight, sweetie.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS DEPART – LET IT FINISH.
JAKE: Nice to see all of you, too. You couldn’t even acknowledge I’m here, Mort?
MORT: Stop it. You sound like the ex-wife I never had. Keep this up and I might start to believe you do exist when I’m not looking at you.
JAKE: Ha. Ha.
MORT: (BEAT) We were visiting a sorcerer, if you must know. You never want to be anywhere you think you might be exposed as a figment of my imagination, so don’t blame me for this. It’s how you wanted it.
JAKE: Hmpf!
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING – UNDER
LILLY: I’ve put Claudette to bed. She’s mad as hell at me. Wouldn’t even look me in the eye.
MORT: Uh-huh.
LILLY: (BEAT) Did I hear you talking to yourself?
MORT: I was thinking stuff over.
LILLY: (COUGHING) She doesn’t know… about my illness, I mean.
MORT: I guessed as much. But you’re not just ill. You’re dying, Lil. When are you going to tell her?
LILLY: (BEAT)
MORT: I thought so… You owe her, you know? She needs the truth.
LILLY: I said I’m sorry about keeping things quiet, didn’t I?
MORT: To me, sure. But sometimes sorry isn’t enough. Sometimes, sorry takes action. That little girl needs her mom. She needs a future.
LILLY: This is none of your business!
MORT: I think I’ve earned the right to–
LILLY: (ANGRY) What have you earned, Mort? Huh? What? (COUGHING) You’ve been involved with Claudette less than thirty six hours. You know nothing about her… about us.
MORT: She needs to know.
LILLY: (BEAT) I can’t do it, Mort. I can’t tell her. And I can’t give her a future. But our lives aren’t yours to fix.
MORT: Are you sure you don’t want me to–?
LILLY: (ANGRY) Damn it, Mort, I told you before. I want you to stay away from Claudette. This is my business. The girl you thought you knew is long gone.
MORT: You want to bring that up again? Okay. It’s like you say. Jesse’s been gone a long time. (BEAT) Do what you want.
SOUND: MORT WALKS AWAY – LET IT FINISH.
LILLY: (SOFTLY, ALMOST TO HERSELF) Thanks for letting me have the bed.
SOUND: LILLY WALKS AWAY – LET IT FINISH.
JAKE: Trouble in paradise?
MORT: Oh, shut the hell up!
MUSIC: TIME PASSING – SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 30: INT – THE SAFE HOUSE – LATE AFTERNOON
(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE)

SOUND: MORT SNORING – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
CLAUDETTE: (FILTERED ECHOING/REVERB) Mort! (FADE FILTER TO NORMAL) Mort, wake up!
MORT: Hmmm. Is something wrong?
JAKE: Wake up, sunshine. The day’s getting away from you.
CLAUDETTE: It’s getting late. The sun will go down soon.
MORT: Aw hell. Is Lil awake?
CLAUDETTE: Mom’s sleeping. I didn’t want to wake her up. Her breathing doesn’t sound so good.
MORT: We’ll let her rest a little longer. I still gotta think things through.
CLAUDETTE: You don’t know whether you want to help us anymore, do you?
MORT: Aw, honey, it’s not–
CLAUDETTE: But if Mom’s Jesse, and you’ve been spending all these years looking after Lilly instead–
MORT: Yeah, it makes it hard to know why I should keep going. Nothing’s like I thought it was.
CLAUDETTE: (ANGRY) Why does she have to mess everything up?
MORT: Claudette?
CLAUDETTE: (STARTING TO CRY) Whenever we meet someone who’s good or kind, she has to mess it up by starting a fight.
MORT: (GENTLY) Hey… Claudette, take it easy. She’s got a lot on her mind.
CLAUDETTE: Don’t make excuses for her. She lies and uses everyone in her life.
MORT: Except you. You mean everything to her.
CLAUDETTE: That’s not true. She lies to me too. And she gets so angry… and she always puts getting even ahead of me.
MORT: I know you’re mad at your mom, but–
CLAUDETTE: Can you forgive her?
MORT: Honey,… I–
CLAUDETTE: See? She messes up everything.
MORT: Listen to me for a minute, Claudette. We’ve talked about this before. Your mom’s been through a lot, more than I know… and more than she’s willing to tell you.
CLAUDETTE: But people who care about each other shouldn’t have secrets.
MORT: Everyone’s got secrets. Your Mom thinks she’s protecting you.
CLAUDETTE: She says. (BEAT) But maybe you’d stay… for me. If I needed you enough–
MORT: Claudette… that’s unfair.
CLAUDETTE: Everything. She messes up everything. But wait, I remember what Wu said, something about a compulsion and how you believe in what you’re doing.
MORT: Don’t believe everything you hear, kid.
CLAUDETTE: You’re doing this ’cause it’s the right thing to do, though. That’s right, isn’t it?
MORT: Claudette, we don’t have time for this right now. Your mom and I will sort things out later.
CLAUDETTE: But–
MORT: Right now I need you to get focused. I’m relying on you to make this work tonight. If you can’t face Mr. Cordova… if you’re too distracted–
JAKE: What the hell? You’re not going to confront that lunatic are you?
CLAUDETTE: I can do it. Honest. (BEAT) We sneak into Mr Cordova’s mansion. We go upstairs and, when I can see him, I read the words from the page Mr Wu gave you.
MORT: And then you and your mother run for it – back the way you came. I’ll take care of the rest.
CLAUDETTE: Got it.
MORT: Good girl. I knew I could rely on you. (BEAT) Let’s see what we can rescue from the kitchen to eat. There must be a can of something that survived the outworlder attack, then we’ll wake up your mom.
JAKE: Hey. You’re not thinking of leaving me behind again, are you? (BEAT) Jake? (ANNOYED AND SLIGHTLY HURT) Okay, I’ll stay here, shall I?
MORT: I’m getting my shoes from the bathroom. They’re ruined, but they’re all I’ve got.
SOUND: DOOR CLOSES – LET IT FINISH.
JAKE: Aw, Hell. (BEAT) (CALLING OUT) Wait up, damn it. I’m coming with you!
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.
NARRATOR: Can Mort, Claudette, and Lilly successfully take the fight to Caesar Cordova? Can the plans of the outworlders be thwarted? Can the gate be closed and the world made safe from invasion? Tune in to episode 5 for the finale.
MUSIC: CLOSING THEME AND CREDITS – LET IT FINISH

###

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He is extremely grateful for the encouragement he receives from his biggest fans — his wife and two boys — all of whom read and enjoy his scripts and, in general, make his life worth living.

You can contact the author regarding performance rights (or simply to say hello) through his website: https://www.weirdworldstudios.com.

THE END

###

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The post Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 4 – The Center Won’t Hold appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 3 – Don’t Stare Too Long

Philip Robotham — Sat, 02 Apr 2022 11:18:00 +0000

Below we present the complete text of Don’t Stare Too Long; episode 3 of Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War.

Don’t Stare Too Long

Parental Guidance Recommended: May contain content some parents may feel is inappropriate for younger children

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #3 – Don’t Stare Too Long

by Philip Craig Robotham

Cover illustration by Philip Craig Robotham

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Edition.

CC by-nc-nd 4.0

Other works by this author can be found at the author’s website: https://weirdworldstudios.com or through select, online book retailers.

Episode 3: Don’t Stare Too Long

Don’t Stare Too Long

CAST LIST

MORT FLINTWICH

JAKE SPENCER

CAESAR CORDOVA

MADAM SOFIA MALEFICENT

LILLY MORELAND

CLAUDETTE MORELAND

WU CHENG

OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING

BRUNO

JULIO

SANCHO

LITTLE GIRL IN TRAFFIC

JIMMY

STAN

CHARITY COLLECTOR

DOCTOR

RECEPTIONIST

WAITRESS

CUSTOMER #1

CUSTOMER #2

WOMAN (KNOCKED OVER BY LILLY AND SANCHO)

MRS HARGREAVES

POLICEMAN #1 (WHO DIES)

POLICEMAN #2 (AT WAREHOUSE)

POLICEMAN #3 (AT WAREHOUSE)

SCRUG

SCRAT

OUTWORLDER (RIVAL TO THE SPOKESBEING)

OUTWORLDER MINION (KILLED WITH SWORD ON STREET CORNER)

OUTWORLDER MINION (ATTACKING LILLY)

OUTWORLDERS

GANGSTER SPOKESMAN

GANGSTERS

OUTWORLDER LEADER

SFX ARTISTS

SCENE 15: INT – BACK ALLEY – TWILIGHT
(MORT, JAKE, JULIO)

MUSIC: OPENING THEME
NARRATOR: Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War, Episode 3: Don’t Stare too Long.
It’s 1934 and Star City, a depression-era town gripped by unemployment and crime, is gripped by the rumblings of a hidden but desperate war for the future of the human race.
Previously:
Lilly Moreland and her powerfully magical daughter, Claudette are being hunted by the crime-boss, Caesar Cordova. He wants to use Claudette to summon monsters from another dimension as allies in the gang war he is currently losing.
The two women seek the aid of Mort Flintwich, a medium-for-hire who only pretends to be a charlatan, but he turns them away because of a prior agreement not to interfere in the business of the Cordova gang. Furious, Lilly arranges for Cordova to receive an anonymous tip that Mort has violated his agreement.
Cordova sends his thugs after Mort, kidnapping a friend of his for leverage, and blowing up his office. Mort then makes a deal with a ghost to find where Lilly and Claudette are in exchange for a magically binding favour.
As Mort sets out to find the women he discovers that the favour requires him to attempt to close the dimensional gate Cordova plans to open (by killing Claudette if necessary).
SOUND: (WALLA) STREETLAMP HUM – CAT – NIGHT AMBIANCE – ESTABLISH, FADE UNDER AND OUT.
JAKE: Mort? Come on, Mort? You can’t do this!
MORT: For Pete’s sake, Jake. Since when have you believed I could kill children?
JAKE: Oh, I don’t know. Since you made a binding magical deal with a psycho spirit in a sewer, maybe?
MORT: And, maybe, you should pay more attention. She didn’t override my conscience, remember?
JAKE: You mean you don’t have to kill the little girl?
MORT: For a manifestation of my own neuroses, sometimes it’s like you don’t know me at all.
JAKE: Oh, shut up. And why are we creeping around this back alley? Your women are at least two alleys over.
MORT: Cordova’s boys are looking for Lilly and Claudette. And we don’t want ’em to be found, right? But they’re hiding out in an alley full of trash because the whole area’s crawling with gangsters.
JAKE: Yeah, and why is that? They shouldn’t have any more of an idea where the women are than we did.
MORT: My guess is Cordova’s put some sort of general magical trace on the kid.
JAKE: Well, when you put it like that…
MORT: At least we’ve got one advantage, here. This is where I grew up. The kids at the orphanage used to play all through these alleys and buildings.
JAKE: Weird that Lilly would pick this area to hide in then.
MORT: Weird, but useful. But what we need right now is a distraction. Something to lead Cordova’s thugs away from here.
JAKE: And how do you propose to accomplish that?
MORT: Like this. (CALLING OUT) Hey, peanut-brain. You, tryin’ to grab Lilly Moreland? You ain’t got a chance.
JAKE: Aw, hell!
JULIO: Oh, that ain’t you down there is it, Flintwich? When I get my hands on you you’re gonna wish you was deader ‘n dog meat. C’mon boys.
THUGS: (AD LIB) Let’s get him. Kill that mug. We’re gonna make you hurt so bad. Etc.
SOUND: RUNNING FEET – UNDER TIL NEXT SOUND.
MUSIC: TIME PASSING TRANSITION – LET IT FINISH
JAKE: You weren’t kidding about knowing your way around these streets, were you?
MORT: Nope. And it’s gonna take those goons an age to find their way back to where Lilly and Claudette were hiding. Now all we’ve got to do is pick ’em up first and get ’em to that safe house o’ mine.
JAKE: Assuming they’re even still there.
MORT: They’re still there. See.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, your nose is bleeding again.
LILLY: (COUGHING) What? Don’t worry about it. C’mon. It’s dark enough to try and get out of here.
CLAUDETTE: But mom… You sound sick.
LILLY: I said don’t worry about it. It’s the stink of all this garbage.
CLAUDETTE: (UNOCONVINCED) Okay, but where are we gonna go? I’m cold… and hungry.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS APPROACH – LET IT FINISH
MORT: I’m gonna suggest my place.
LILLY: Don’t come any closer.
SOUND: HAND GUN COCKS – LET IT FINISH
LILLY: (SURPRISED) Mort? What the hell are you doing here? Planning to turn us over to your friend, Cordova? A little gift to shore up that cosy little agreement you have?
MORT: Cordova got it into his head that I was helping you. He blew up my office. I don’t think that agreement’s worth anything anymore.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, put the gun away.
LILLY: (COUGHING) Quiet, Claudette. Why should I believe you?
MORT: How about because I could have brought a dozen goons with me, but instead I led ’em away and came back to get you alone?
CLAUDETTE: Mom, he’s here to help.
LILLY: No, he’s not. He had the chance to help this morning. He turned us down. What’s in this for you, Mort?
MORT: We don’t have time for this, Lilly. We’ve got to get out of here. Now.
LILLY: I’m not going anywhere with you and I’m quite prepared to put a bullet in you to prove it.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, he can help us. I’ve seen it.
MORT: Please, Lilly, I’m sorry about this morning. I should’ve helped you. But I didn’t know if you were on the level. And now, we’re all in the same boat. You can trust me. You know me.
SOUND: GUN UNCOCKS – LET IT FINISH.
LILLY: People change, but alright. I’m only agreeing because Claudette thinks I should. And if you betray us, I’ll make it my mission in life to kill you.
MORT: Fair enough. (TO CLAUDETTE) I’m grateful to you, kid. But we need to head over two blocks and through an old warehouse.
LILLY: (SUSPICIOUS) A warehouse? Why?
MORT: I think Cordova’s been trying to track Claudette magically. The warehouse is iron. By going through it, any enchantments will be broken. We’ll head to the safe house from there.
LILLY: Oh, you are NOT talking that magic mumbo-jumbo again?
CLAUDETTE: He’s magic too, mom. I can see it.
LILLY: Looks like everyone’s magic but me.
CLAUDETTE: I keep telling you, mom. You’ve got magic too.
LILLY: I’ve had enough of this rubbish. You know things sometimes, don’t ask me how, but it ain’t magic.
CLAUDETTE: But-
LILLY: I once saw a guy at a carnival cold read an entire crowd, so stop with the arguments.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, it’s true. We’ve-
LILLY: Stop it! I’m not looking for membership in your make-believe club. I want to get us through the day alive. (STARTS COUGHING BADLY).
MORT: Are you okay?
CLAUDETTE: She’s sick.
LILLY: It’s nothing. A bit of a cough. Let’s go.
MORT: Alright.
JAKE: I’ll meet you on the other side of the warehouse. You know I can’t go through there.
MORT: (STAGE WHISPER) Still trying to pretend you’re real, huh?
LILLY: What’s that?
MORT: Nothing. We need to go this way.
OUTWORLDER: (HISSING) Oh, and what is this? There is weakness here. Easy prey?
CLAUDETTE: Mom? Something’s here.
MORT: Oh, hell!
OUTWORLDER: The little one hears me. Will it be sad if I eat its mother?
CLAUDETTE: Mom, there’s something near us.
LILLY: Claudette, we don’t have time for this.
CLAUDETTE: I can’t see it, but I can hear-
MORT: It’s okay, Claudette, I can see it. You and Lilly get behind me.
OUTWORLDER: He sees me! The medium who lost his gifts sees? (REALISATION) Deceiver!
MORT: Damn it!
LILLY: What is this, I can’t see-?
OUTWORLDER: Perhaps I should show myself. Here, woman. See and despair. Your life-force is weak. You are no longer safe from attack.
CLAUDETTE: There it is. It’s made itself visible.
LILLY: What the hell is that thing? It’s all teeth and arms.
MORT: It’s an outworlder. A predator that likes to pretend it’s a ghost. They’re not usually dangerous.
OUTWORLDER: Except to those who know our secrets… and those who are weak and nearing-
LILLY: Get away from me.
MORT: You must be sicker than you know, Lilly. It wouldn’t see you as prey otherwise.
CLAUDETTE: Can’t we keep it back?
MORT: Just one alone? I think so. Hold Lilly’s hand.
OUTWORLDER: Hmpf! Sharing life force is a cheap trick. But you’ve stopped me… for now. Things are changing mortals. I can feel it. My people are coming soon.
MORT: Stop whining. I’m tired of the sound of you.
OUTWORLDER: (TO LILLY) Goodbye for now, woman. There are other places to hunt, but I’ll be back. (TO MORT) And as for you, Mort Flintwich… word will spread. You wont be ignored any more.
SOUND: WHOOSH OF OUTWORLDER’S DEPARTURE – LET IT FINISH
LILLY: What the hell?
MORT: Damnit! I’ve been trying to keep off their radar forever… (BEAT) Come on. We’re going, before anything else can happen.
LILLY: But-
MORT: You can tell me about how you don’t believe in any of this stuff later. Right now, let’s move!
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS DEPART – LET IT FINISH.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 16: INT – SAFE HOUSE – NIGHT TIME
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE, JAKE)

SOUND: DOOR OPENS – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: Okay, this is the place. Home sweet home. At least, for the next few days. Pardon the dust. I gave the maid the last couple o’ years off. Let me hang up my coat and I’ll show you around… there we go!
SOUND: A SHEET OF PAPER LANDS ON THE FLOOR – LET IT FINISH.
JAKE: Mort, I think you dropped-
LILLY: Hmpf. I wouldn’t have picked you for a place like this.
JAKE: What do you mean?
LILLY: It’s homey, aside from the dust. Comfortable chairs. Warm colors. A functional kitchen. Almost has a woman’s touch about it. Doesn’t seem like you at all.
MORT: It came furnished. None of this is my doing.
LILLY: Expensive too. How’d you manage it?
MORT: I had some savings from… well, a time when I wasn’t quite as honest as I am now.
LILLY: Well, don’t worry about us settling in. (COUGHING) We won’t be staying long. We’ll be leaving in the morning.
MORT: Where will you go?
LILLY: I want to get Claudette out of the city. Then I want to fix Cordova’s wagon. I was thinking of trying the docks. There’s always someone down there who’ll ferry you if the pay’s right.
MORT: You got any cash?
LILLY: It doesn’t always take cash. Why? You looking to get paid for helping us?
MORT: Easy Lil. I’m not your enemy and I don’t take advantage of damsels in distress.
LILLY: Hmpf!
MORT: I think Cordova will have canvassed the docks with your pictures by now. There’s no telling who’ll be waiting for you.
LILLY: Yeah, well. We’ll burn that bridge when we come to it. Meanwhile, I’m keeping this gun loaded and one eye on you, buster-
MORT: Sheesh! Claudette, let me show you your room, okay? Your mom and I have to talk.
CLAUDETTE: Please don’t fight.
MORT: What makes you think we’re going to do that?
LILLY: Me. She knows me too well (COUGHING).
MORT: Well, I’m hoping it won’t come to that. Come on, I’ve got some great books in there you can read.
CLAUDETTE: (EXCITED) Like what?
MORT: I’ve got Winnie the Pooh, The Wizard of Oz, Doctor Dolittle, Treasure Island, The adventures of Sinbad the Sailor, Peter Pan. Take your pick.
CLAUDETTE: Any of them?
MORT: Sure thing. I take it you like books?
CLAUDETTE: I love books!
MORT: Well they’re all on the shelf. In you go.
SOUND: DOOR OPENS – LET IT FINISH.
CLAUDETTE: Thank you!
MORT: Whoah! Okay. (LAUGHING) She’s a hugger.
CLAUDETTE: Goodnight, mom.
LILLY: Goodnight, honey.
SOUND: DOOR CLOSES – LET IT FINISH
LILLY: (BEAT) I want you to stay away from her.
MORT: What?
LILLY: She likes you, so stay away.
MORT: Hang on, I don’t-
LILLY: I mean it, Mort. I know you mean well, but she makes attachments fast, and she gets heart-broken easy. (BEAT) I wouldn’t have picked you for having kids’ books around.
MORT: They came with the place. I never thought I’d have a use for ’em. Can I get you a-
JAKE: (INTERRUPTING) Uh, Mort. This doesn’t look good.
MORT: What?
SOUND: GUN COCKS – LET IT FINISH
MORT: Oh!
LILLY: I think you better keep your hands where I can see ’em, Mort.
MORT: What’s with the cannon? I thought we were starting to get along.
LILLY: You dropped this when you let us in. It’s a letter from Caesar-
SOUND: DOOR OPENS – LET IT FINISH
CLAUDETTE: Mom? I forgot to-
LILLY: Go back into your room, honey.
CLAUDETTE: But Mom?
LILLY: Now, Claudette.
CLAUDETTE: (ANGRY) You’re messing everything up!
LILLY: Claudette! Do as I say.
CLAUDETTE: (PEEVISH) Ugh!
SOUND: DOOR SLAMS – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: Now don’t go jumping to conclusions, Lil.
LILLY: Don’t “Lil'” me. To think I almost started to trust you. You’ve been intending to hand us over all along. Are his men on their way here already, or were you gonna wait until we were asleep?
MORT: You got it all wrong, Lil. I could have turned you over to Cordova twice already.
LILLY: Don’t lie to me!
JAKE: Come on, Mort. You’ve got to convince her.
MORT: Think it through. Drawing off Cordova’s men? Breaking the magical trace? These aren’t the actions of someone who’s going to double-cross you.
LILLY: Sure they are. You’d do anything for Jesse, and, according to this note, Cordova’s got her. Maybe you’re delaying while you negotiate a better price.
MORT: You already know what happens to guys who try to negotiate with Cordova, Lil. They end up mailed home in pieces. I’m not that stupid. You know it.
LILLY: So explain it to me.
MORT: Alright. (BEAT) Cordova wants to find you. He wants to find you bad. And he did offer me a deal. That letter was left at my apartment. But I turned him down, Lil, I swear it. I turned him down and I’m trying to buy some time to figure this out.
LILLY: You know I love Jesse too, but if it came down to a choice between her and Claudette-
MORT: He blew up my office, for crying out loud. That’s how bad he wants you. And I brought you here because I’m in his crosshairs now too. I need answers, Lil. And you’ve got ’em.
LILLY: No. We’re leaving.
JAKE: Damnit!
MORT: Lil, c’mon? Where are you gonna go?
LILLY: Somewhere else. It’s not safe here. I can’t trust you. And I won’t risk my daughter. Cordova’s gonna pay for doing this to us.
MORT: Okay. Okay. I can’t stop you, but point that thing somewhere else for a bit, will you?
LILLY: If you give me a reason to, I’ll shoot you where you stand. (BEAT) Claudette? Claudette, come out here now, sweetie. We’ve got to go.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS TO DOOR – LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: DOOR OPENING – LET IT FINISH.
LILLY: Claudette? (BEAT THEN CALLING FROM OTHER ROOM) Oh no. The window’s open. She’s gone.
MORT: I swear this had nothing to do with me.
LILLY: (APPROACHING) Damnit. She’s run off. (STARTS COUGHING CONVULSIVELY)
MORT: Lilly, are you okay?
LILLY: (COUGHING) I’m… I’m-
SOUND: BODY DROP – LET IT FINISH
JAKE: She collapsed.
MORT: Aw hell. This is all I need. Lilly? Lilly, wake up! Lilly!
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH

SCENE 17: INT – SOFIA’S PLACE – NIGHT
(SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, JULIO)

SOUND: MATCH BEING LIT – LET IT FINISH.
SOFIA: There. Some candle light makes the place less dark. What do you think, cat?
SOUND: CAT MEOWS – LET IT FINISH.
SOFIA: I know. It leaves a lot to be desired. Half the ceiling’s missing. It smells of rot and mould. And it’s cold as an ice box. But it’s easy for Mr. Cordova to find us here and he’ll want to see me tonight, so we need to be ready. (BEAT) First I need to take another look at the ritual.
SOUND: PAGE TURNS – LET IT FINISH
SOUND: CANDLESTICK BEING KNOCKED OVER – LET IT FINISH
SOFIA: (ALARMED) Who’s there?
CLAUDETTE: (ON THE EDGE OF TEARS) It’s me, Granny. Sorry for knocking things over. I couldn’t find the door so I climbed in the window.
SOFIA: Claudette? How did you get here?
CLAUDETTE: I’m good at finding people. I think it must be one of my abilities. I think about someone and I know where they are… at least I do if they aren’t on the other side of running water. For some reason I can’t find people if there’s running water in the way.
SOFIA: Yes, but…
CLAUDETTE: Oh. Yeah, I can’t find magical people either. I found your cat, though.
SOFIA: Ah, I see. (TO THE CAT) Why is it that it’s always the ones you care about that betray you? Hmmm? (BEAT) (TO CLAUDETTE) Your timing couldn’t be worse, child. I’m expecting some dangerous visitors any minute.
CLAUDETTE: (BREAKING INTO TEARS) Please don’t send me away. Mom’s gotten into a big fight with Mort. She’s messing everything up and wants to take me out of the city tomorrow.
SOFIA: Oh, child. Don’t cry. You got her to ask for Mort’s help then?
CLAUDETTE: (THROUGH TEARS) Yes, but Mort said “no”. And then Mom told Mr. Cordova’s men that he knew where to find us. And Mr. Cordova blew up Mort’s office. And then Mort did find us. But mom doesn’t trust him. And they were having a big argument because Mr. Cordova kidnapped a friend of his and gave him until tomorrow midnight to hand us over. But Mom won’t believe him when he says he won’t do it. And Mort is nice. But mom’s afraid. And I don’t know what to do. And… And…
SOFIA: Easy child. Everything is going to plan. They’ve already made friends again and are worried about where you’ve gone.
CLAUDETTE: How do you know?
SOFIA: I don’t know much at all, really. I can’t see magically active people well.
CLAUDETTE: You’re lying?
SOFIA: I’m guessing. But it’s a reasonable guess that whatever they have been fighting about will be forgotten once they realise you’ve run away.
CLAUDETTE: You know Mort and Mom are magical, too?
SOFIA: Mmmm. But your mother’s gift is something subtle. Something she doesn’t even realize she does. (BEAT) Mr. Cordova’s men are coming here and you can’t be seen when they arrive. (BEAT) I’m sorry, but I have to send you away. Right now.
SOUND: KNOCKING ON DOOR – LET IT FINISH
JULIO: You there, witch?
SOFIA: (STAGE WHISPER) You have to trust me, Claudette. I can’t let them find you yet. Not all the pieces are in place.
Get in the cupboard. After you hear me leave, wait a few minutes, then go out the window.
CLAUDETTE: (FIERCELY) You have to help us. Promise me you’re on our side.
SOFIA: Haven’t I helped you so far? Aren’t I helping you now? You haven’t been caught yet, have you? Now hide in the cupboard! And don’t hug me, girl. You don’t know anything about me.
SOUND: LOUD BANGING ON DOOR – LET IT FINISH
JULIO: Witch! Are you in there? (BEAT) C’mon, we’re running late, already.
SOFIA: (YELLING) Keep your hair on. I’m coming. (TO CLAUDETTE) Now go!
SOUND: CUPBOARD OPENS AND CLOSES – LET IT FINISH.
SOFIA: (YELLING) It isn’t easy for someone my age to get up and get to the door. You ought to have a little more respect.
SOUND: DOOR OPENS – LET IT FINISH.
JULIO: Yeah, well. The boss wants to see you. And, like I said, I’m already running late. We don’t have much time.
SOUND: SOMETHING CRASHES INSIDE – LET IT FINISH
JULIO: What’s that?
SOFIA: Your boss’s cat. He gave her to me to look after. She’s a bit curious.
JULIO: Maybe we should check.
SOUND: MEOW – LET IT FINISH.
SOFIA: Here she comes. (BEAT) Here, into my pocket little one. What did you knock over this time?
JULIO: This place is a ruin – even for a squatter’s residence. You’re lucky it’s stood up this long. But we haven’t got time for anything else.
SOFIA: Well, I’m ready. Let’s go!
SOUND: DOOR CLOSES – LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: (BEAT) THEN CUPBOARD OPENS – LET IT FINISH.
CLAUDETTE: They’re gone. I need to… what’s this?
SOUND: MAGICAL HUM – LET IT FINISH.
CLAUDETTE: It’s a book. It feels… I’m taking it with me.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 18: INT – CAESAR’S HQ – NIGHT
(CAESAR, GANGSTERS, OUTWORLDER-SPOKESBEING)

SOUND: LOTS OF BUSTLE AND SETUP – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
CAESAR: The foyer’s the only space large enough for this, so put those candles over there. And spread them out along the edges of the circle.
BRUNO: Why are we doing this, boss? It makes no sense.
CAESAR: I’m going to put an end to this war. (TO OTHERS) Make sure you don’t smudge the lines. Your lives may depend on it.
BRUNO: But Boss-
CAESAR: Trust me. As soon as the old witch gets here we’ll have everything we need.
BRUNO: But she said you needed the girl for this to work.
CAESAR: I know what she said. But we’re out of time.
SOUND: RUNNING FEET APPROACHING – LET IT FINISH.
JOEY: Boss? Boss!
CAESAR: Over here.
JOEY: There you are, Boss. The gambling houses just fell. Boscone and Tremere have everything. The last of our gang’s on the run.
CAESAR: (TO JULIO) I told you. We’ve run out of time.
BRUNO: But the witch ain’t here, boss.
CAESAR: We’re out of time. Boscone’s on his way. He’s won. I’ve got nothing left but my family and these last few men who stayed loyal.
BRUNO: So, what now?
CAESAR: I am not going to lose anyone else. Put those mirrors in place, facing each other behind the circle, then clear everyone out.
BRUNO: But Boss, this is dangerous. Remember what happened last time. It’s not like you to make these choices; trying to kidnap a kid, playing with dark forces.
CAESAR: Are you questioning my orders, Bruno?
BRUNO: You’re breaking your own rules and I’m worried about you, boss. We should run for it. There are other towns. Other cities. We could…
CAESAR: We wouldn’t make it outside the city limits. And when it comes to saving my family, the rules don’t apply. Besides, if this doesn’t work we’ll all be dead soon enough anyway.
BRUNO: Okay, Boss. But I’m staying.
CAESAR: Bruno…
BRUNO: Nu-uh. You’ll have to shoot me.
CAESAR: Alright, it’s fitting that my right-hand man be by my side. Stay.
BRUNO: You heard the Boss. Put those last items in place and vamoose. If we’re still alive tomorrow, you’ll all have jobs to come back to. If not, good luck.
SOUND: FEET EXITING – DOORS BEING CLOSED – LET IT FINISH.
BRUNO: Okay, Boss. It’s you and me. What now?
CAESAR: There’s an army of things on the other side of those mirrors. They used to be part of this world (though I don’t think they were natural to it, even then). They got banished in ancient times.
BRUNO: For real? Monsters?
CAESAR: If we bring them back and can keep them under our control, we’ll have all the help we need to put down Boscone, Tremere, and anyone else that tries to stand in our way.
BRUNO: So how’s it work?
CAESAR: It’s pretty simple. Don’t step inside the circle while I read this out… Varshna, Vishnaya, Varisvaya. Nintook palambiel marathusiel dy-et. Murusamiel, Darvidaya, Marishna!
SOUND: REVERBERATING MAGICAL BAMF! – LIKE AN EMP GOING OFF. POWER UP AND HUM UNDER.
BRUNO: Aargh! Boss! Boss, your nose. You’re bleeding.
CAESAR: It’s alright. It’s the portal opening.
SOUND: SHOOP OF PORTAL OPENING – LOTS OF CHITTERING-GROWLING NOISES – UNDER.
BRUNO: What are those things?
CAESAR: Outworlders.
BRUNO: I’ve never seen anything like them.
CAESAR: They’re invisible to ordinary people unless they want to show themselves. The reason you can see them is that you were part of the ritual.
BRUNO: Ugly… and so many of them. All teeth and arms and long tails. They’re like black salamandars with extra limbs and way too many teeth. (DISGUSTED) Animals.
SOUND: ELECTRICAL CRACKLE. APPROACHING CHITTERING. – UNDER AND STOP
OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING: Animals? We are not animals. (BEAT) Who summons us back to our home?
OUTWORLDERS: Yes, who? Who? Etc.
SOUND: ZAP – LET IT FINISH.
SPOKESBEING: What is this barrier? Magical energy?
SOUND: ZAP – LET IT FINISH
SPOKESBEING: Ugh! Why are we contained? Have we escaped one threat only to face another?
CAESAR: What threat do you speak of monster?
SPOKESBEING: My race is being exterminated. In the mirror realm, something has awoken. Something hungry.
CAESAR: And you have been looking for a way out?
SPOKESBEING: We have been working to break down the walls between our worlds and it has been attracted by the weakening of the barriers.
CAESAR: How have you survived?
SPOKESBEING: We have hidden ourselves from it underground. But, as we grow closer to freeing ourselves, its power grows too.
CAESAR: Then I think I can help you.
SOUND: ZAP – LET IT FINISH
SPOKESBEING: Ungh! Set us free!
CAESAR: You will be free… When you have met your obligation.
SPOKESBEING: What obligation?
CAESAR: I have enemies. Kill them and you will be free.
SPOKESBEING: Pah! Thousands of years, we have been gone, and still you think only of killing one another.
CAESAR: What do you care?
SPOKESBEING: We don’t. We find you pathetic.
CAESAR: Then you will do what I ask?
SOUND: BAMF. POWER DOWN – LET IT FINISH.
SPOKESBEING: Pathetic. Your summoning is imperfect. You couldn’t keep the portal open. Not enough power. Weakling.
CAESAR: (PANTING) Perhaps. But the barrier remains. I can hold you, and those who came through with you, here forever.
SPOKESBEING: No, not forever. Your lifetime is the blink of an eye. We could outlast you… and when you die we would be free regardless. But we will perform this service for you. Killing humans is… fun! Who do you wish us to kill?
CAESAR: Tommy Boscone and his minions. Dillon Tremere and his minions. Those men of my own who abandoned me to go over to their side. And Mort Flintwich, who betrayed me.
SPOKESBEING: Consider it done.
SOUND: POWER DOWN – LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: WHOOSHING – FADING UNDER.
OUTWORLDERS: TRIUMPHANT HOWLS AND CACKLES – FADING.
SPOKESBEING: We will return when they are dead, weakling. Bwahahahahaaha… (FADE)
CAESAR: (EXHAUSTED) They’re gone.
BRUNO: Boss, what were those things? They had too many arms and way too many teeth.
CAESAR: They are the tools needed to win this war.
BRUNO: I don’t know, boss. I don’t think things like this were meant to be messed with by the likes of us.
SOUND: KNOCK ON DOOR – LET IT FINISH
JULIO: Boss, you in there? I brought the witch.
CAESAR: Open the door.
BRUNO: Sure, boss.
SOUND: DOOR OPENS – LET IT FINISH
SOFIA: What have you done?
CAESAR: Your nose is bleeding.
SOFIA: What have you done?!
CAESAR: I couldn’t wait.
SOFIA: Idiot. You didn’t have the power to create a stable gate. And I’m guessing you are too stupid to have bound the ones that came through.
CAESAR: They are doing my bidding, witch. And all without your help.
SOFIA: How many? How many came through?
CAESAR: About twenty or thirty.
SOFIA: Too many.
CAESAR: You wanted to let in an entire army.
SOFIA: Yes, but one you could command.
CAESAR: As I said to you, the ritual worked. They are doing my bidding.
SOFIA: Ha. They are paying the price of entry, but as soon as they complete the task, they will be free, and will return… for you!
CAESAR: They are under my control.
SOFIA: No. You didn’t have sufficient power to control them. You have set them free. And I am leaving.
CAESAR: No. You will stay. You promised me an army.
SOFIA: I promised you an army if you followed my directions, but instead you may have doomed us all.
CAESAR: What?
SOFIA: Those things are far more dangerous than you realise, and vindictive. They will return here looking for revenge.
CAESAR: For what?
SOFIA: For daring to bind them to your will. If you survive this, call upon me and I will come. It’s possible that, once free, they may choose to disperse and bother you no more. We will see.
BRUNO: Boss?
CAESAR: Let her go. We don’t need her. For now.
BRUNO: But what will we do if they come back?
CAESAR: I am strong enough. Whatever she says.
SOFIA: For what it’s worth I hope you survive. Still, I fear that you won’t. This changes everything.
CAESAR: (SARCASTIC) Sorry to mess with whatever agenda you had in all this, witch, but I was never going to be your play thing.
SOFIA: Hmpf. (BEAT) We will see. (CALLING AS SHE LEAVES) Farewell.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 19: INT – SAFE HOUSE – NIGHT
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE, JAKE)

MORT: Damnit, I don’t have time for this. I need answers and a plan if I’m to save Jesse.
LILLY: (GROANS)
JAKE: Mort! Lilly’s coming around.
MORT: I can see that for myself, Jake.
LILLY: Ugh. What? What happened?
MORT: You started coughing and passed out, Lil. Are you okay?
LILLY: (PANICKING) Where’s Claudette?
MORT: She’s still not here. You’ve been out for about an hour and a quarter and you’re running one hell of a fever. Lil, I’m worried. Are you okay?
LILLY: (COUGHING) I’m fine.
MORT: I don’t think so. I think you’re sick.
LILLY: I’m fine. (REALIZING) And you haven’t turned us in to Cordova? But that’ll have to wait. We’ve got to find Claudette.
MORT: (WRYLY) Apology accepted. (BEAT) But I’ve got no idea where Claudette is.
LILLY: You found us before.
MORT: That was kind of a one-time deal. I had to call in some… er… “magical” favours. I can’t afford to do it again.
JAKE: You’re telling me.
LILLY: Are you serious? You’re still talking about that mumbo-jumbo? She’s out there, alone. And Cordova’s goons are combing the city for her.
MORT: Well, there’s some chance they are looking for both of you and, unless they’ve seen Claudette up close, won’t expect to find her alone… (SUDDENLY IN PAIN) Argh!
LILLY: (ALSO IN PAIN) Ungh!
LILLY: What’s happening? Your nose started bleeding.
MORT: Yours too. (GRUNTS) Oh, that hurt!
LILLY: What? What hurts?
JAKE: Someone in the city made use of some bad juju. I think we’ve got a problem.
MORT: Hang on a second, Lil. I need to-
SOUND: MAGICAL CHIME – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: (BEAT) (RELIEVED) Ah, that’s better. I think something else happened too.
JAKE: Huh?
MORT: The pact I made with Jenny Mulrooney. I think it activated.
LILLY: Mort, you’re not making any sense.
JAKE: Aw Hell! That means the outworlders are breaking through. But Cordova’s on the other side of town.
LILLY: Mort, did you hear me?
JAKE: Something on that scale, well… If that hit you and Lil all the way out here, Mort, it probably hit Claudette as well. She’s gonna need some-
SOUND: THUMP FROM OTHER ROOM – DOOR OPENS – LET IT FINISH.
LILLY: Claudette? Is that you?
CLAUDETTE: (IN PAIN) It’s me, momma.
LILLY: (FORGETTING MORT) Claudette! What were you thinking? You can’t run away like that. Don’t you realise what could have… Your face! Claudette, what happened?
MORT: It’s okay. She’s “active”. The nose bleed means she got hit by the same thing we did. C’mere Claudette.
CLAUDETTE: It hurts.
MORT: I know. Look at me. (BEAT) Okay, now I want you to center your thoughts. Think of something good. Something that you enjoy. A place or a memory, maybe a book. Got it?
CLAUDETTE: Yes.
MORT: Okay, now build a wall around that place. Feel the pain being blocked out. Can you do that?
CLAUDETTE: Yes. I think so. It-
SOUND: CHIME – LET IT FINISH
CLAUDETTE: It’s gone.
LILLY: (COUGHING) It must have been physical… or like radio waves or something.
MORT: It was magic, Lil. The sooner you accept that…
LILLY: I don’t. I won’t. Why’d it effect us differently? Why’d it effect me at all?
MORT: I know you don’t think you’ve got any magic, but it’s clear you do. The nosebleed-
LILLY: Could be a coincidence. I’ve had at least three already today.
MORT: Maybe. But I can see the magic in you – it’s faint, but it’s there. And you saw that thing when it revealed itself earlier today. We’re like antennas. You’ve got less receptivity because your powers-
LILLY: I don’t have powers!
MORT: Because your powers, whatever they are, are subtle. Claudette was overcome by it because she’s a powerful receiver. (TO CLAUDETTE) How are you feeling, now, honey?
CLAUDETTE: Much better, I think.
LILLY: Then it’s high time you explained yourself, miss. What were you thinking?
CLAUDETTE: Mom, I’m sorry. I-
LILLY: That’s not good enough. Do you have any idea how scared we were? What could have happened to you-?
CLAUDETTE: Mom, it’s okay… I… I went to get us a book.
LILLY: A book?
CLAUDETTE: Yes, I think it will help us.
LILLY: Claudette? Look at me, baby. Are you telling me the truth?
CLAUDETTE: Um… Of course.
LILLY: Where did you find this book?
CLAUDETTE: Oh… um… I kind of saw it… in a vision.
LILLY: Like the one you had of Mort?
CLAUDETTE: Yeah. Exactly.
LILLY: Claudette, is this on the level? You never used to have visions… I’m not sure…
MORT: Claudette’s powerful, Lilly. She may be coming into new abilities.
LILLY: I… I’m sorry, but this is all so-
MORT: Yeah, it must taste like ashes.
LILLY: What?
MORT: Me being right, twice in one day, about something like magic. (TO CLAUDETTE) Come on over to the sink, kiddo. We’ll wash the blood off your face.
CLAUDETTE: Yours too.
MORT: What? Oh, yeah. I forgot. (BEAT) Then we’ll take a look at that book.
SOUND: WATER RUNNING. SPLASHING.
MORT: Okay. There we go. That’s better now, isn’t it?
CLAUDETTE: (WHISPERING) Mom keeps messing everything up. She’s so… boring.
MORT: (QUIETLY, JUST FOR CLAUDETTE) I think the word you want is “mundane”. And I also don’t think you’re being fair. She’s trying to keep you safe, and, running off like that…
CLAUDETTE: She doesn’t understand.
MORT: Nobody’s perfect, Claudette. She’s doing her best – but she’s also got her own demons to fight. And her top priority is protecting you. You didn’t do her any favors running away. Why did you go?
CLAUDETTE: I heard you fighting. Mom wanted to leave… and we need you. I had to do something so that she’d-
LILLY: (AT A DISTANCE) Is this the book you brought back Claudette?
CLAUDETTE: Yeah, that’s it. But I don’t think we should…
LILLY: I can’t make head or tale of this.
MORT: Let me take a look.
CLAUDETTE: But…
LILLY: It looks like Japanese to me.
MORT: Chinese. And an ancient version.
LILLY: You read Ancient Chinese?
MORT: No, but I recognize some of the characters. See, here… and here. I don’t know what they mean.
CLAUDETTE: (RELIEVED) Good… I mean… um-
LILLY: How come you know so much anyway?
MORT: Believe it or not, I used to study magic. I don’t use my abilities much these days, but I used to… and back then, I tried to learn everything I could about using ’em well.
LILLY: You think you can really talk to the dead, don’t you?
MORT: (SLIGHTLY EMBARASSED) Yeah.
LILLY: But if you believe this stuff, why’d you stop? It’s not like you’ve got a reputation to protect.
MORT: Cute. There are a handful of genuine mediums in town. We don’t get along but we cooperate from time to time.
LILLY: Like who?
MORT: Naomi Walker works up-town and poaches my customers when she can, Wu Chang sticks to himself over in China town, working the tourist dollar. There are a handful of others.
LILLY: So?
MORT: We’ve all noticed something weird has been happening to the ghost population. And to people who were too open about their ability to see real ghosts.
LILLY: That sounds ominous.
MORT: I guess it does. I hate that the one we saw today realised I can see ’em. Can we changed the topic now?
LILLY: But… Well you understand, about what Claudette’s going through, I mean?
MORT: A little, yeah. I think so. She’s way more powerful than me, but I get what’s going on for her.
LILLY: Explain it to me.
MORT: Even as a little kid I could hear and see ghosts. Jesse was like you in lots of ways. She didn’t like me talking about it. It made me different. Claudette reads minds, right?
LILLY: Yeah. (BEAT) Mort, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have thought you were going to hurt us. And I get how hard this must be for you, with Jesse in Cordova’s hands… It’s… we’ve had to be so careful…But, about the book… if you can’t read this, then it can’t be much help to us, right?
MORT: There’s someone I know who might be able to read it. If Claudette’s right, then this might have the answers we’re looking for.
CLAUDETTE: (GUILTILY) Um-
LILLY: (COUGHS)
MORT: It’s okay, Lil. I haven’t given you much reason to trust me. Not after the beginning. But I think Claudette may have brought us what we need.
SOUND: DISTANT HOWL – LET IT FINISH
CLAUDETTE: Mort?
LILLY: Did you-?
MORT: Yeah, I heard it too.
CLAUDETTE: I think they’re coming this way.
LILLY: What? What are coming this way?
MORT: I think you’re right. I can feel them. We have to get out of here.
LILLY: Damn it, Mort. What can you feel? I’m sick of being an outsider in my own daughter’s life. Tell me what’s going on.
MORT: Lilly, you have to trust me. I don’t know what’s coming, but it’s bad and I can feel it. So can Claudette. And we have to leave. Now.
JAKE: Mort. This is bad. I have to get out of here.
MORT: Find us at the warehouse.
JAKE: Alright. I’ll see you later.
SOUND: SHOOMPF OF GHOST DISAPPEARING – LET IT FINISH.
LILLY: What warehouse? Who are you talking to?
MORT: No-one. A ghost. It doesn’t matter. We have to go. Are you able to travel?
LILLY: (COUGHING) Don’t worry about me.
CLAUDETTE: No. Stop. It’s too late!
SOUND: WINDOWS SMASH – LET IT FINISH
SOUND: RUSHING WIND – APPROACHES AND FINISHES
SOUND: HOWLING – UNDER
OUTWORLDERS: (AD LIB) Prepare to Die. Be afraid. We will crush you. We will eat you. Etc.
LILLY: Something brushed past me. (PAIN) Argh! It’s got claws. (BEAT) It’s grabbed me!
MORT: I see them. They’re outworlders, alright! Damnit, they’re going for Lilly first.
CLAUDETTE: You leave my mom alone!
SCRUG: Tasty little treat, aren’t you. Are you ready to die? Or shall I kill your mother first?
CLAUDETTE: Leave… us… (SHRIEKED, ECHOING) ALONE!
SOUND: MAGICAL BAMF! – LET IT FINISH
OUTWORLDERS: (SHRIEKING) (AD LIB) Flee! It hurts! Etc.
SOUND: RUSHING WIND (FADES OUT)
LILLY: (BEAT) (GASPING) What happened?
MORT: They’ve retreated. But they’ll be back again, soon.
LILLY: What was that? It felt…
MORT: It was an intrusion into the physical world of something else. They’re outworlders. We saw one earlier. They pretend to be ghosts but they’re altogether alien.
LILLY: Is this because they know you can see them now?
MORT: No. This is something different. Quick, grab the book, we have to go.
LILLY: Got it.
CLAUDETTE: (PASSING OUT) Ugh!
SOUND: BODY DROP – LET IT FINISH.
LILLY: Claudette! Are you okay?
MORT: She’s passed out. That mind blast came from her. It’s exhausted her reserves. She’ll be all right, but I need to carry her. Leave her to me.
LILLY: All right. Which way?
MORT: Down. To the cellar. We’re going to use the sewers.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 20: INT – THE SEWERS – NIGHT
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SOUND: DRIPS, PIPE NOISES, OCCASIONAL STEAM – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
SOUND: HOWLS IN THE DISTANCE – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
LILLY: They sound angry.
MORT: They are. They can’t find us.
LILLY: Why not? It can’t be the smell.
MORT: No. It’s the iron pipes. They interfere with supernatural tracking. But they know we’re here somewhere.
CLAUDETTE: (GROANS) Mmmmm.
MORT: I think she’s coming around.
LILLY: Claudette? Are you okay, honey?
CLAUDETTE: It’s so dark.
LILLY: (COUGHING) We’re in the sewers with Mort. We’re hiding.
MORT: But we can’t stay here. We’ve got to move on.
LILLY: Why? I thought you said they can’t find us because of the iron.
MORT: No. The iron down here interferes with their tracking, but there isn’t enough of it to stop them for long.
LILLY: But if it…
MORT: They’ll soon figure out where we’ve gone and the chase will be on again.
LILLY: But now she’s awake can’t Claudette, or you, chase them off again?
MORT: It takes a huge amount of power. I’m not strong enough. I think Claudette’s power is off the charts, but she’s more likely to kill herself than achieve another win.
LILLY: (STARTS COUGHING) Why… am I even… listening to you? (COUGHS MORE) We… should… take our chances.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, stop it! You know Mort’s right. We need to listen to him.
LILLY: (COUGHING BUT RECOVERING) He’s not saying anything. We can’t run. We need a plan.
MORT: I’ve got a plan. Remember how we broke Cordova’s trace on Claudette? Iron doesn’t just interfere with their tracking ability. If we surround ourselves with it, we can break it.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, you’ve got to listen. Please!
LILLY: Easy, Claudette. I’m convinced.
CLAUDETTE: You are? But… okay then.
LILLY: But how far is it? And how long will it take to get there?
MORT: Too damn long. Every minute makes it harder to get Jesse back.
LILLY: Mort…
MORT: Okay, Alright. There are some offices attached to a warehouse a couple of blocks away that are made of iron. The warehouse area isn’t (and that’s where we’ll come out) but those offices will be impenetrable to magic.
CLAUDETTE: What about your friend?
MORT: (SURPRISED) You’ve seen him?
CLAUDETTE: No. But I’ve heard you talking to him.
MORT: Hmmm. Yeah, well. He’s gone for now. Let’s not talk about him, okay?
CLAUDETTE: If you like.
LILLY: (TEASING) Are you being haunted, Mort?
MORT: It’s complicated, and we don’t have time right now. We’ve got to get moving.
LILLY: Okay. Lead the way.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 21: INT – BOSCONE’S WAREHOUSE -MIDNIGHT
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SOUND: SCRAPING OF METAL DOOR OPENING.
SOUND: DISTANT SIRENS – ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
MORT: Okay, we’re here. This is the warehouse. Lilly, you’re first. Head up those stairs but keep your head down. There shouldn’t be anyone here at midnight, but you never know.
LILLY: Okay. Here I go.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS ON METAL STAIRS – LET IT FINISH
LILLY: Oh, Hell. Mort! Don’t send Claudette up here.
MORT: What? Why not?
LILLY: Trust me. Don’t bring her up.
MORT: We’ve got no choice, Lil. We’ve got to get up into the offices.
LILLY: Something bad happened here. There are bodies. Lots of bodies.
MORT: What?
SOUND: MORT AND CLAUDETTE ON METAL STAIRS – LET IT FINISH
MORT: Claudette, don’t look sweetie. Oh my…
LILLY: Damn it, Mort. I said don’t bring her up.
MORT: I couldn’t leave her there.
LILLY: Well, keep your hand over her eyes.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, what…?
LILLY: Believe me, honey. You don’t want to see this.
MORT: I wish I couldn’t. I think I’m gonna be sick.
LILLY: Some tough guy you turned out to be. What could’ve happened here?
MORT: It’s the outworlders.
LILLY: They got here ahead of us?
MORT: I don’t think so. The ones that are chasing us are still behind us… and will be coming through soon. We need to get up into those offices up there.
LILLY: Are they all this savage?
MORT: I never thought so, but I do know they can kill. On their own they’re fairly harmless, so maybe they get stronger in a pack. I don’t want to find out first hand.
LILLY: But who are these dead guys?
MORT: Come on keep moving. I’ll explain as we go. Try not to step in anyone.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, I’m scared.
MORT: Sorry honey. Keep your eyes closed. We’ll guide you.
SOUND: WET SQUEALCHING FOOTSTEPS (PUDDLES ETC.) – ESTABLISH AND FADE
CLAUDETTE: I didn’t think it could smell worse than the sewers.
LILLY: Like copper.
MORT: Try not to think about it. We’re going to have to clean your shoes off later.
LILLY: So who are these men?
MORT: They belong to Tommy Boscone. (BEAT) I didn’t expect anyone to be here… and I guess no-one is anymore. There must be at least thirty of them. We’re lucky.
LILLY: How so?
MORT: If they were alive, and here, when we arrived, they’d have heard us coming in and we’d have a tricky bit of explaining to do. As it is…
LILLY: No-one’s ever going to explain anything to them again. (BEAT) But why’re they dead? Is it an invasion?
MORT: Maybe. But more likely the things that did this were summoned using bad magic and sent after specific targets. That puts Caesar Cordova at the top of my list of suspects.
LILLY: (COUGHING) You think Cordova ordered this?
MORT: I’m almost sure of it. He’s at war with Boscone and Tremere. I’m willing to bet he’s got teams of outworlders doing this all over town. Also there’s the pact I made.
LILLY: What?
MORT: I made a pact with a ghost named Jenny Mulrooney to find you and Claudette. The deal was that I would try to close a gate – a kind of magical doorway – that Cordova was planning to open. The pact activated a few minutes before we were attacked.
LILLY: I’ve never pictured Cordova as a monster. As bad guys go, he’s always had principles. But he came after Claudette, and now this? I want to hurt him bad.
MORT: (DISTRACTED) Uh-huh. (BEAT) (PUZZLED) There’re no ghosts here.
LILLY: What?
MORT: This much death and not a single ghost.
LILLY: I don’t…
MORT: Sorry. It’s a theory. I’ve been wondering why ghosts have been disappearing while the outworlders have been getting more common.
LILLY: And-
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS CLIMBING METAL STAIRS – UNDER UNTIL NEXT SOUND.
MORT: And, I don’t know. They’ve been finding their own way through from wherever their world is in small numbers without help.
LILLY: So what’s changed?
MORT: There have been more and more of them coming through. And I think they are feeding on ghosts when they get here. I think these things drink our souls when they get detached from our bodies.
LILLY: And you’ve reached this conclusion because?
MORT: There should be at least a handful of ghosts associated with a massacre like this. It makes no sense that there are none.
SOUND: HOWLS – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: They’ve found us. We’ll be next if we don’t get inside those offices. Here let me get the door open.
SOUND: KEYS – DOOR OPENS – LET IT FINISH
MORT: Inside. Quick.
SOUND: DOOR CLOSES – HOWLS ARE MUFFLED – LET IT FINISH.
CLAUDETTE: (WHISPERING) Now what?
MORT: Get your heads down out of sight. This should break the connection.
SOUND: BAMF – LET IT FINISH.
MORT: Now, we have to wait.
CLAUDETTE: But why would Mr. Cordova be doing this? Didn’t he want me alive?
MORT: I don’t think it’s you they’re after. I think they want me. You’re in danger because you’re with me.
LILLY: I knew it! Mort… (COUGHING) I can’t…
MORT: Put a hand over your mouth, Lilly. Now the connection is broken we’ll be okay so long as we don’t attract their attention…
SOUND: HOWLING INCREASES – THEN FADE UNDER AND OUT.
SPOKESBEING: The connection has been broken.
OUTWORLDER: They have gone. We cannot sense them.
SPOKESBEING: Our obligation has been met. We are free!
OUTWORLDER: What will we do?
SPOKESBEING: We will return to the human.
OUTWORLDER: (SUSPICIOUS) What are you up to, brood-brother? You have always wanted freedom, and we can now be free.
SPOKESBEING: Do you wish to challenge my directions?
OUTWORLDER: We are not in our own lands now. The rules of caste and supremacy need not apply here… unless you wish to apply them.
SPOKESBEING: I do.
OUTWORLDER: You always were ambitious.
SPOKESBEING: We have combined our powers here to great effect. We can affect this world in new and powerful ways when our powers are combined. We can bring our people through…
OUTWORLDER: You talk of rescue. You are free from the hive consciousness. But I think you wish to rescue our people from that thing that seeks our destruction only to enslave them.
SPOKESBEING: It is our way. The masters draw upon the weaker castes and feed upon their power to assert their will. Alone we are scavengers. Together, we can shape reality.
OUTWORLDER: But we can’t all rule. We are absorbed into the hive consciousness of the masters. In this world we could start again. We can be free.
SPOKESBEING: I only wish to…
OUTWORLDER: You wish to re-establish our slavery, but we are few, far too few to oppose even one of the smaller hives.
SPOKESBEING: I have a plan. One that will work. Why should I not rule?
OUTWORLDER: Because I wish to be free. And so I must oppose you.
SPOKESBEING: You can try. (ATTACKING) Aaargh!
OUTWORLDER: No. No! I will not let you… Aaaargh!
SOUND: WET SLICING NOISE FOLLOWED BY CHOMPING NOISES – ESTABLISH AND FINISH.
SPOKESBEING: It appears you will remain free after all. If death can be called freedom. (TO THE OTHERS) Who of you will join yourselves to my consciousness?
OUTWORLDERS: (AD LIB) We will. Yes. Master. Etc.
SPOKESBEING: Then we return to the human who summoned us.
SOUND: EXULTANT HOWLS, THEN FADE.
LILLY: (COUGHING) Those things are crazy!
MORT: You could hear them too? They’re way more physical when they are in groups. (BEAT) I think they’ve gone. But right now, I’m more worried about you, Lil. Are you sure you’re all right?
LILLY: I think so. Don’t fuss, I’m fine. But what do we do now?
MORT: Now? I think we may have caught a break. If Cordova thinks I’m dead, and it looks like that’ll be their line when they return, then there’ll be no need for him to hurt Jesse.
LILLY: That’ll get you off the hook as far as Cordova goes – at least for now, but what about us? If those things go back and kill Cordova, maybe that’ll fix our problem as well.
MORT: I don’t think so. The one who ended up in charge was saying they still want to bring the rest through. For that they need Cordova and, I’m guessing, they will also want to grab Claudette.
LILLY: (COUGHING) So, is this where you cut and run?
MORT: Um… what?
LILLY: A fresh start? Maybe another city? Mort?
MORT: Damnit. I-
CLAUDETTE: Please, Mort, don’t go!
MORT: Aw, hell. What kind of guy do you think I am?
CLAUDETTE: But-
MORT: I’m seeing this through. I can’t shake that pact for a start. But right now, there’s someone I need to see.
CLAUDETTE: Who?
MORT: I think he might be our best chance of finding a way through this. Put the book you’ve been carrying on the table, Lil.
LILLY: Over here? There’s not much space. You’d think the office’d be a little less cluttered. And less dusty.
MORT: I was forgetting you used to be an accountant of sorts.
LILLY: Some habits are hard to shake.
MORT: Gangsters are pretty particular about tracking the money, even if they aren’t tidy. The police’d love to get their hands on those notebooks, for example.
LILLY: We don’t have time for that, now, though. Can’t we get out of here and put Claudette to bed. She’s been up all night.
CLAUDETTE: (YAWNING) I’m not tired, Mom. Honest.
MORT: Sorry, Lil. We’re not staying long. I need to confirm something and then we’re out of here.
CLAUDETTE: You don’t need to rush on my account.
MORT: There’s somewhere I think we need to go. Claudette, you’ll have to come as well. We’ll all get some sleep a little bit later, but right now… let me see that book.
LILLY: Alright. Here it is.
SOUND: PAGES TURNING – UNDER AND LET IT FINISH.
LILLY: So?
MORT: Don’t rush me. (BEAT) It’s like I thought. Unreadable.
LILLY: (DISGUSTED) You idiot.
MORT: I’m pretty sure I know someone who can translate it for us,
CLAUDETTE: (WORRIED) What?
MORT: Another medium. Aside from Naomi Walker, he’s my biggest rival and the most gifted spiritualist in the city. His name is Wu Cheng.
LILLY: He’s one of those mediums you mentioned earlier, right?
MORT: Yeah. He works out of China Town – tourist dollars and Chinese speaking clients.
LILLY: And you think he can read this?
MORT: Yeah, I do. If it’s as important as Claudette says, he may be our only hope of figuring this mess out.
CLAUDETTE: (NERVOUS) I don’t know. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea showing this to a stranger.
MORT: We can’t read it ourselves, Claudette. Not without help. And he may not want to help us. But I’m hoping I can convince him.
SOUND: BOOK CLOSING – LET IT FINISH
MORT: Come on. I’ll bring the book. We’ve got to hurry.
LILLY: Where, though?
MORT: We’ll go back to what’s left of the safehouse later, but for now… we’re going to Chinatown.
SOUND: SIRENS APPROACHING – THEN HALT.
CLAUDETTE: What’s that?
MORT: Damnit! The police. We can’t afford to be found here.
LILLY: Could this day get any worse?
MORT: You had to ask, didn’t you?
SOUND: DOORS CRASH IN – LET IT FINISH
POLICEMAN: (AT A DISTANCE) What the hell happened here?
POLICEMAN #2: (AT A DISTANCE) It’s another massacre. I’ll call it in.
POLICEMAN: (AT A DISTANCE) The whole city’s gone mad. I’ve never seen carnage like this.
POLICEMAN #2: (AT A DISTANCE) Cordova’s found a way to hit back. Maybe he brought in some out-of-towners.
POLICEMAN: (AT A DISTANCE) Maybe, but this is so far beyond his style. I don’t get it.
POLICEMAN #2: I’ll be right back.
SOUND: RUNNING FEET DEPARTING – FADE OUT
MORT: Come on. We’ve got to get out of here.
LILLY: How?
MORT: See up there? There’s a hatch. If we’re quick, we can get through before they come up.
LILLY: But that’ll put us on the roof.
MORT: That’s right. There’s a ladder down the back into the alley. (BEAT) But we better take our shoes off before we go. Lace them and hang ’em round your necks.
CLAUDETTE: Why?
MORT: That blood we walked through getting here is going to make a trail that even Star City’s finest can follow. I’m still hoping we can be gone before anyone’s the wiser.
LILLY: Okay. Let’s go. But Jake, if that book lets you take the fight to Cordova, remember I still want a piece of him.
MORT: You haven’t changed a bit, have you?
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.
NARRATOR: Can Mort protect Claudette and Lilly from Caesar Cordova? Will Lilly ever be able to trust Mort? Will the Outworlders that Caesar summoned succeed in turning the tide of the gang war and will Caesar be able to maintain control over them? Tune in to episode 4 and find out.
MUSIC: CLOSING THEME AND CREDITS – LET IT FINISH.

###

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He is extremely grateful for the encouragement he receives from his biggest fans — his wife and two boys — all of whom read and enjoy his scripts and, in general, make his life worth living.

You can contact the author regarding performance rights (or simply to say hello) through his website: https://www.weirdworldstudios.com.

THE END

###

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The post Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 3 – Don’t Stare Too Long appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 2 – Never Send to Know

Philip Robotham — Fri, 18 Mar 2022 22:18:46 +0000

Below we present the complete text of Never Send to Know; episode 2 of Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War.

Never Send to Know

Parental Guidance Recommended: May contain content some parents may feel is inappropriate for younger children

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #2 – Never Send to Know

by Philip Craig Robotham

Cover illustration by Philip Craig Robotham

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Edition.

CC by-nc-nd 4.0

Other works by this author can be found at the author’s website: https://weirdworldstudios.com or through select, online book retailers.

Episode 2: Never Send to Know

Never Send to Know

CAST LIST

MORT FLINTWICH

JAKE SPENCER

CAESAR CORDOVA

MADAM SOFIA MALEFICENT

LILLY MORELAND

CLAUDETTE MORELAND

WU CHENG

OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING

BRUNO

JULIO

SANCHO

LITTLE GIRL IN TRAFFIC

JIMMY

STAN

CHARITY COLLECTOR

DOCTOR

RECEPTIONIST

WAITRESS

CUSTOMER #1

CUSTOMER #2

WOMAN (KNOCKED OVER BY LILLY AND SANCHO)

MRS HARGREAVES

POLICEMAN #1 (WHO DIES)

POLICEMAN #2 (AT WAREHOUSE)

POLICEMAN #3 (AT WAREHOUSE)

SCRUG

SCRAT

OUTWORLDER (RIVAL TO THE SPOKESBEING)

OUTWORLDER MINION (KILLED WITH SWORD ON STREET CORNER)

OUTWORLDER MINION (ATTACKING LILLY)

OUTWORLDERS

GANGSTER SPOKESMAN

GANGSTERS

OUTWORLDER LEADER

SFX ARTISTS

SCENE 7: INT – MORT’S OFFICE – LATE MORNING
(MORT, JAKE, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

MUSIC: OPENING THEME
NARRATOR: Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War, Episode 2: Never Send to Know.
It’s 1934 in Star City and crime-boss, Ceasar Cordova wants to kidnap Lilly Moreland’s magical daughter, Claudette, at the behest of the double dealing witch, Madame Sofia. Somehow Mort Flintwich, a small time huckster and fake medium currently preparing for his first client of the day, is their only hope of escape.
MORT: Can I get a little quiet from the voice in my head, please? I’ve got things to do.
JAKE: It’s just I don’t understand why you keep this office, Mort. You don’t need to pretend to be a medium. You could do anything.
MORT: (SNORTS WITH DERISION) Hmpf.
JAKE: You were a good cop once. And you’re a decent grifter. (BEAT) Cheap theatrics don’t seem your style. And taking lumps for it? Don’t it make you question your life choices?
MORT: My life’s not so bad.
JAKE: Says the guy who got beat up over a 35 buck fee.
MORT: Hey, I got bills, okay. Besides, one step too far out of line and my old buddies at the precinct will have me playing room-mates with a serial murderer on cell-block D. There are people who rely on me.
JAKE: Like your bar-tender.
MORT: You know exactly who I mean.
JAKE: Yeah, I know about Jesse’s hospital bills.
MORT: Hey!
JAKE: Yeah, yeah. We don’t talk about Jesse. But she’s one of the reasons I don’t buy that heart of stone routine you’re so fond of.
MORT: You’re not going to start all that again are you? Even if I did get beat up, at least I got my sandwich. It coulda been worse.
JAKE: I don’t understand you at all sometimes.
MORT: For a manifestation of my unconscious neuroses, you sure can play stupid.
JAKE: I’m as real as you are… well, for a ghost.
MORT: You’re not a ghost.
JAKE: Are too.
MORT: Really, that’s the level of discourse you rise to. “Are too”?
JAKE: Hey, if I’m supposed to be a manifestation of your brain, then…
MORT: Aw, save it. (BEAT) You ever wonder why there are so few real ghosts around?
JAKE: Besides me, you mean?
MORT: You’re not real. But I’ve been dealing with real ones all my life. Not like those imposters I see now. There used to be more of ’em, too. Lots more.
JAKE: Huh?
MORT: Yeah. When I was a kid, there used to be plenty o’ real ghosts. Now, not so much.
JAKE: What’s your theory? Grown-ups can’t see ’em?
MORT: Funny. I think they’ve been driven out by the tricksters, or maybe the imposters ate ’em. Your guess is as good as mine.
JAKE: Ate ’em? Come on.
MORT: Yeah, well. It’s not as ridiculous as you might think. You’ve never seen one, but I’ve seen plenty. Those things have teeth, a mouth full of six-inch-long needles.
JAKE: Yeah, right.
MORT: They used to be real rare… and they’d hang around in the background. But then there were more of them, and fewer real ghosts, and then the ghosts became rare, and the tricksters’d pretend to be ghosts in their place… like it was funny. Most mediums can’t see ’em. Most. Most mediums can only hear ’em.
JAKE: You’re pulling my leg.
MORT: I’m not. I’ve told you before. They’re dangerous. You remember Holzman?
JAKE: Before my time.
MORT: He was a friend of mine. Not a partner, but he threw work my way. He could see ’em too. Most of the time we pretended we couldn’t, but he decided he was going to let ’em know he knew they weren’t ghosts. He got thrown down a lift shaft.
JAKE: Come on!
MORT: It’s the truth. It’s also the reason I faked the accident.
JAKE: Faked?
MORT: Okay, so things got a bit more real than I intended. But I was able to convince those… things… that I’d lost my abilities. You don’t see ’em hanging about me anymore, do you?
JAKE: According to you, they’d eat me if they did.
MORT: Yeah, but you’re not a real ghost.
JAKE: What? You think I’m a trickster?
MORT: Nah. I think you’re what happened when I hit my head in the car accident.
SOUND: DISCREET TAP ON DOOR
LILLY: Hello?
MORT: Saved by the bell. (LOUDER) Come in.
SOUND: DOOR OPENS
LILLY: Hi Mort. It’s been years.
MORT: Lilly? Lil Moreland?
LILLY: In the flesh. (BEAT) You busy? It sounded like you were talkin’ to someone in here.
MORT: (DISMISSIVE) Meh. The local ghosts. Come in. It’s been, what, a decade? Longer? How goes the grifting?
LILLY: Don’t start. What’d you do to your eye?
MORT: You should see the other guy. (BEAT) I hear you’ve been branching out into second-storey work.
LILLY: You’ve got good ears. But that’s not something I want to talk about. Especially not with an ex-copper. (BEAT) You’re looking sour, Mort. What’s up?
MORT: You. Turning up here like this. You took off, Lil. We could’ve used you on the witness stand.
LILLY: A courtroom would have taken my testimony apart. You know what I was in that place.
MORT: Yeah. You were a victim.
LILLY: That’s not how it would’ve looked once a lawyer got hold of me. Besides, I left you the books they’d been cooking. There was more than enough physical evidence to put an end to that place.
MORT: Yeah. But we coulda done so much more. Gotten some real justice for Jesse.
LILLY: That was a pipe dream, Mort. You know who was protecting that place. You got the girls out. No-one coulda done more. Certainly not me.
MORT: Ah, forget it. Too much water under that bridge now anyway. What do you want?
LILLY: Who says I want anything?
MORT: I don’t see you for years and you turn up in my office. I’m gonna assume it isn’t a social call.
LILLY: (STALLING) This isn’t what I pictured a fortune teller’s office would look like.
MORT: Putting aside that I’m not a fortune teller… why’s that?
LILLY: I don’t know. Outside of your rugs I thought there’d be a crystal ball; a bunch of statues from India – that sort of thing. An otherwise bare office with a desk and a small coffee table in the corner? That wasn’t what I expected.
MORT: I sell myself as having a more scientific approach. I get out a bunch of lab junk when the rubes come in and mix it with some statues and stuff to give it an exotic air. I haven’t dressed the set yet.
LILLY: Seriously?
MORT: It’s kind of an East meets West sort of thing. Makes for a good selling point. Otherwise the office stays like you see it. (BEAT) Who’ve you got shuffling outside the door?
LILLY: Oh, sorry. That’s my daughter, Claudette. Come in honey.
CLAUDETTE: Hello, Mr. Flintwich. This is for you.
MORT: Hello, sweetie. What’s this? A paper flower? It’s pretty, thanks.
CLAUDETTE: I’ll put it in your button hole. (BEAT) There.
MORT: (TO LILLY) She’s lovely – but you still haven’t answered my question.
(BEAT) Why are you here?
LILLY: We need your help.
MORT: You need my help? It can’t be to put up some shelves and you know this place isn’t the real deal, right?
LILLY: Yeah, you’re a grifter now.
MORT: Please. I’m a charlatan. I haven’t run a con in years.
LILLY: Too much cop in you?
MORT: Something like that.
CLAUDETTE: That’s not true!
MORT: Ouch! I’m serious, kid. No cons. Not for years.
CLAUDETTE: No, I mean, you’re not a charlatan. I can see it. You’ve got magic.
MORT: Huh? (CURIOUS) Let me take a look at you. Say, you’re glowing like a beacon, kid. (TO LILLY) And Lil, you’ve got a little too (though it’s hard to detect). I never looked for it in you way back when.
LILLY: What rubbish are you talking about?
MORT: Magic. Both of you have some, but Claudette especially.
CLAUDETTE: See, mom. I’ve been saying you’re…
LILLY: Stop it. We don’t have time for games. It’s hard enough coming here without you laughing at us. (COUGHING) We’re in trouble Mort. We’ve got nowhere else to turn.
MORT: Is this even on the level? ‘Cos I know all the dodges and if you need money, you don’t need to try and scam…
LILLY: It’s for real. We’re in trouble, deep, and need help as bad as can be.
MORT: I’m not sure what I can do for you, but…
CLAUDETTE: Mr. Cordova is after us… well, me… and…
MORT: Cordova? Caesar Cordova? The crime boss?
LILLY: (SARCASTIC) No, Caesar Cordova, the interior decorator. Who else could she mean?
MORT: (SUDDENLY SCARED) Are you kidding? (BEAT) Sorry, but I can’t be party to whatever you two have got mixed up in. Not if it means you’ve gotten on the wrong side of Cordova.
LILLY: What? Why?
MORT: You’ve got to go. Now.
LILLY: But…
MORT: Look, Lil. I have an arrangement with Cordova. Whatever mess you’re in, I can’t help you with it. You’re putting yourselves in danger by coming here… and me too.
LILLY: Come on, Mort. Rumour has it you’ve got some pull with Cordova – a deal of some kind. He tried to snatch Claudette off the street this morning. I want to pay him back for…
MORT: Lilly, no! You’re nuts.
LILLY: Coward!
CLAUDETTE: Mom!
LILLY: You damned coward. (COUGHING) This is my daughter’s life we’re talking about. Cordova wants Claudette.
MORT: Lil…?
LILLY: You know what that means. I’m not going to let her be forced into the life I escaped from. And we’re already on the run. Cordova will kill me to get to Claudette now.
MORT: Lil, what did you expect from me? You’ve never spoken the plain truth to me once in all the time I’ve known you. I’ve got no way of knowing if this is even for real… But I’ve got a very real deal with Cordova, one where we don’t interfere in each other’s business.
CLAUDETTE: But…
MORT: He’s never been into the stuff you’re talking about. Stealing kids? Prostitution? They aren’t his style. I can’t help you, Lil. I can’t.
LILLY: C’mon, Claudette. You heard the man. He won’t help us.
CLAUDETTE: No, mom. We’ve got to convince him…
LILLY: We’re leaving. Now.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, he’s our best hope. Without him we’ll be…
LILLY: Enough! We’re going.
MORT: I’m sorry, Lil.
LILLY: Go to hell.
SOUND: DOOR OPENS AND LILLY AND CLAUDETTE DEPART. SLAM’S SHUT.
JAKE: Well, that went well.
MORT: Don’t you start.
JAKE: You could have at least heard her out.
MORT: You know why I couldn’t. Cordova knows about Jesse and I know about him. I don’t pull the trigger on what I’ve got on him and he doesn’t pull the trigger on… well, you know what I mean.
JAKE: Yeah, I know.
MORT: Besides. Lil’s always been a grifter, and crazy vindictive to boot. There’s no telling what she was trying to get me into. Coming here after all these years? She’s never said two true words to me since she ran out on the court date. No, I’m betting she was playing some kind of angle. I had a close call is all.
JAKE: She was scared and you know it. But… whatever lets you sleep at night.
MORT: I haven’t got time for this. I need to finish the set-up for Mrs Hargreaves. She’ll be here soon.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 8: EXT – STREET – LATE MORNING
(LILLY, CLAUDETTE, WAITRESS, STRANGER #1, STRANGER #2)

SOUND: STREET AMBIANCE – ESTABLISH AND FADE
CLAUDETTE: Mom! We have to go back.
LILLY: No. We don’t! That son of a… That man isn’t worth our time. He’s a coward. He’s a… (COUGHS HEAVILY, WHEEZES FOR A BIT)
CLAUDETTE: Please stop! Mom, you need to rest for a minute.
LILLY: No! (BEAT) Hang on. Let’s duck in here.
CLAUDETTE: The Diner?
LILLY: Sure. It’s got a phone.
CLAUDETTE: (HOPEFUL) You’re gonna call him?
LILLY: No. I’m gonna get even. And then I’ll find a way to hurt Cordova. This world works one way. You either bite or get bitten.
CLAUDETTE: But Mom!
LILLY: C’mon.
SOUND: DOOR OPENS, BELL JINGLES, DOOR CLOSES, STREET SOUND MUFFLES.
SOUND: LOW-RENT RESTAURANT AMBIANCE – ESTABLISH AND FADE
LILLY: Smell that, kid? That’s the smell of fried grease and despair. Cheap tables, cheaper food, and cheapest of all… the clients. I’ve bussed tables in more cheap dives like this than I care to count.
WAITRESS: (FRIENDLY) ‘Morning. Can I get you something?
LILLY: Thanks, but I haven’t had all my shots this month. I’m looking for your phone.
WAITRESS: (INSULTED) Over on the wall. We don’t give change though, (SNEERING) sorry.
LILLY: Figures.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, don’t do this. We need Mort’s help.
LILLY: We don’t need anyone, least of all him. The thing I want right now is to see him with a shiner on both those eyes
CLAUDETTE: Mom, please! Don’t mess this up! If you do this, he might never help us.
LILLY: We don’t want his help!
CLAUDETTE: But we do. We need it.
LILLY: Have I ever led you wrong? Haven’t I always looked after you?
CLAUDETTE: (HESITANT) Well, yeah, but…
LILLY: But what?
CLAUDETTE: Well… you lose your temper and it always makes things worse. This time it could be really bad.
LILLY: Don’t be ridiculous. (COUGHS HEAVILY) Sit quiet for a minute and let me work. (BEAT) (SULTRY) Well, hey fella!
STRANGER #1: Well hey, yourself.
LILLY: I was hoping you could do me a favour.
STRANGER #1: Anything you want, doll.
LILLY: (AMUSED) Uh-huh. Okay, so I was wondering if you’d make a phone call for me.
STRANGER #1: Huh?
LILLY: You did say “anything I want”.
STRANGER #1: Yeah, but…
LILLY: Here, I’ll write it out for you.
SOUND: SCRATCHING ON PAPER
LILLY: There. (BEAT) Here’s who to ask for… and this is the number.
STRANGER #1: Hey, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull here, but this? No, I ain’t interested.
LILLY: (COUGHS AGAIN) Coward.
STRANGER #1: You always insult the people you’re attempting to manipulate? Cos if you do, then sister, you’re nuts.
LILLY: I could make it worth your while.
CLAUDETTE: Mom, he said “no”. Let’s go, okay.
STRANGER #1: Listen to the girl, sister. She’s got sense.
CLAUDETTE: I wasn’t talking to you.
LILLY: (COUGHS) Claudette, I told you to sit down.
STRANGER #1: Wanting someone to call that name and number? C’mon, the kid knows it’s crazy.
CLAUDETTE: You shut up, mister. You can’t call my mom names.
STRANGER: Really? You want to defend her, even when you know she’s wrong? Maybe you want to open your eyes a bit more.
LILLY: Why you…
STRANGER #2: (INTERRUPTING) I couldn’t help overhearing…
LILLY: What? (TRYING TO BRUSH HIM OFF). This has nothing to do with you.
STRANGER #2: …but I’d be happy to make your call for you… for a couple o’ bucks
LILLY: Ha! God bless capitalism.
STRANGER #1: D’ya know who it’s to? If you take my advice, you’ll steer clear, bub. But it’s your funeral.
STRANGER #2: Hey, times are tough. (BEAT) Well? You want me to make the call?
LILLY: Hang on a sec.
SOUND: JANGLING CROCKERY AND SPILLAGE
STRANGER #1: Hey!
LILLY: Oh, sorry! Was that your soup?
STRANGER #1: You crazy broad! That soup’s hot.
LILLY: (COUGHING – THEN SWEETLY) I said sorry.
STRANGER #1: Yeah, right. Dammit.
SOUND: WAITRESS AND STRANGER FUSSING IN BACKGROUND – ADLIB. UNDER.
STRANGER #2: (STAGE WHISPER) Heh. I saw you take his wallet, by the way. And he’ll be too busy getting cleaned up to notice it’s gone for a few minutes.
LILLY: I figure he can afford it. Here’s your two bucks.
STRANGER #2: Thanks.
SOUND: PHONE PICK UP AND HANDLE TURN. DIALS NUMBER.
STRANGER #2: (BEAT) Yeah, is this Cordova’s joint. Word is you’re looking for Lilly and Claudette Moreland?
CLAUDETTE: Mom!
STRANGER #2: Yeah? Well I seen ’em coming out o’… Mort Flintwich’s place up on 43rd. You might still be able to get to ’em if you hurry.
(BEAT) Yeah. You’re welcome.
CLAUDETTE: (DESPAIRING) You’re ruining everything.
SOUND: PHONE HANG UP.
STRANGER #2: Well sister, it was nice doing business with you. If that number really belongs to Caesar Cordova, you’ve dumped this Flintwich guy into a world o’ hurt.
LILLY: Maybe. But it wouldn’t do for you to get too curious, okay?
STRANGER: It’s not my circus so these ain’t my monkeys. See you around.
LILLY: Come on Claudette.
CLAUDETTE: (MUTTERING) You shouldn’t have done that! You want to get even, more than you want to keep me safe.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 9: INT – MORT’S OFFICE – LATE MORNING
(THUG #1, THUG #2, MORT, JAKE, MRS. HARGREAVES)

MORT: [CUE] (FALSELY EFFUSIVE) Mrs Hargreaves, how wonderful to see you again. I hope you’ve been well.
JAKE: Oh, for Pete’s sake.
MRS HARGREAVES: (LOFTILY) Oh, Mr Flintwich. One does one’s best in trying circumstances.
JAKE: Such a chore to lift that silver spoon, isn’t it, Mrs.?
MORT: Indeed, Mrs Hargreaves. Indeed. And have you been practicing the exercises I gave you.
MRS HARGREAVES: Oh, yes, Mr Flintwich I have. Those sensitivity exercises you gave me have been doing wonders. I can feel myself sitting on the threshold of the supernatural, and oh, the wonder of it. It takes my breath away. Do you feel you can truly help me to make contact with the other side?
JAKE: He can make contact with your wallet.
MORT: (AHEM) There are no guarantees, but you have been showing a rare aptitude. I have been reluctant to take private students as you know.
MRS. HARGREAVES: Yes?
MORT: And if it weren’t for my recent financial reversal, I would never part with the secrets that my master, Satipu Feng, entrusted to me so long ago.
MRS HARGREAVES: Oh, I’m sure he would approve of your actions if he knew of your poor sister.
JAKE: Seriously, Mort? The sick sister routine?
MORT: Your sympathy is such a comfort, dear lady. I am fortunate that it is you and not someone less worthy on whom I must bestow these gifts.
MRS. HARGREAVES: Oh thankyou, Mr. Flintwich.
MORT: Er. I take it you have brought your payment…
SOUND: DOOR CRASHES OPEN – LET IT FINISH
MRS. HARGREAVES: (CRIES OUT IN FRIGHT) Aaah!
JULIO: Don’t anybody move. You? Are you Mort Flintwich?
MORT: (CALMLY) Gentlemen. You could have just knocked?
JULIO: Says you. We’ve had some troublesome packages to pick up today.
MORT: Going by the black eye you’re sporting, I’d say people have been a little… uncooperative?
JULIO: You can talk. That’s quite the shiner you got, yourself.
MRS HARGREAVES: (SCARED) Do you know these men, Mr Flintwich?
JULIO: Us? No. He don’t know us. But he knows our boss, Mr Cordova.
MORT: (HASTILY) And I think perhaps this conversation should be held in private. (TO MRS HARGREAVES, BUT WITH EXAGGERATED POLITENESS) Mrs Hargreaves, I’m sorry for the interruption but the men with the guns appear quite insistent that I speak with them.
MRS HARGREAVES: (NERVOUSLY) Uh, yes… er…
MORT: (CONTINUING CALMLY) Would you mind if we rescheduled your appointment for a more suitable time? Gentlemen, I’m sure you don’t need Mrs Hargreaves here during our chat?
JULIO: (MOCKING) During our “chat”? Why no, not at all. (TO MRS H. ) Lady, you can scram.
MRS. HARGREAVES: Thank you Mr. Flintwich. Er… I can see myself out. But, um, I don’t think I’ll be needing another appointment, if it’s all the same to you.
MORT: Oh?
MRS. HARGREAVES: No. I think that I… er, goodbye, Mr. Flintwich.
SOUND: DOOR SWINGS OPEN AND BROKENLY CLOSED
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) You think she’ll squawk?
JULIO: Her? Nah. She’s one o’ those society dames. She’ll have forgotten about Flintwich by the time she hits the ground floor.
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) I could still…
JULIO: No, you couldn’t. You know what the boss’ rules are. No civilian casualties.
SANCHO: (DISAPPOINTED) Sure, Julio.
MORT: You know, you boys have done more in two minutes to cost me business than the paid bruisers who jumped me this morning.
SANCHO: Huh?
MORT: Doesn’t matter. So, what’s going on? Mr. Cordova and I have an arrangement. I don’t mess with his business and he stays out of mine.
JULIO: Yeah, well. You’ve been seen meddling in Mr. Cordova’s business and he’s a bit put out. That means Mr. Cordova no longer feels he needs to honour your agreement. Now where’s the girl?
MORT: What? Come on fellas, you gotta give me more than that? We can talk this over, civilized like, can’t we?.
JULIO: We’re looking for Lil Moreland and her kid, Claudette. We know they was here.
MORT: Oh, you do, huh? Well I ain’t hiding it. They were here. About an hour ago. They asked me for some money to get out of town.
JULIO: Why’s that? Who’re you to them?
MORT: I know Lil from, well, from back-a-ways. She said she had some trouble with Mr. Cordova and… If you’re here then I guess that must be true. Anyway, I stuck to my agreement and sent ’em packing.
JULIO: And you didn’t think to send Mr. Cordova a message.
MORT: Lil’s a grifter from way back. I couldn’t be sure it wasn’t some kind of con. A variation on the old “knight in shining armour” gag.
JULIO: So?
MORT: So I wasn’t going to bother Mr. Cordova over something like that. Like I said, I stuck to my agreement and sent them on their way. (BEAT)
JULIO: What if we don’t believe you?
MORT: Well, I can’t help that, but it doesn’t bother me much. When you boys first burst in here, I gotta admit, I was worried. I thought someone was fixing to put me on the spot.
SANCHO: Someone still might.
MORT: But now I know what it’s about, I can see this can be cleared up easy enough. I need to talk to Mr. Cordova. (BEAT) He does want to see me in person, right?
JULIO: Yeah. Sure. In person.
MORT: So, I can explain everything and it’s all gonna be fine. But I’d feel better about it if you’d have a drink with me. I got a bottle of pretty good rye in my pocket.
SOUND: CLINK OF BOTTLE.
JULIO: Any glasses?
MORT: Sure. On that shelf behind you.
SOUND: CLINK OF GLASSES.
SOUND: POURING THREE GLASSES
MORT: Salute. Here’s to sorting things out. (GULPS)
COP: (AMAZED – AT A DISTANCE) What the hell’s happened here? Mr. Flintwich? Are you there?
SOUND: GUNS BEING COCKED.
JULIO: (STAGE WHISPER) It’s a flat foot. (TO MORT) Get rid of him.
MORT: (SOTTO VOCE) Uh, yeah. (BEAT – NORMAL VOLUME) Oh, hello officer. I didn’t see you there.
COP: Your door’s taken some damage, Mr. Flintwich. Is everything okay?
MORT: Uh, sure. There was an attempted break-in over-night. Nothing taken, so it looks like it’s vandalism. I’ve got a locksmith on the way.
COP: Is that right? Maybe I should come in.
MORT: Oh, it’s no big deal…
COP: Only, I saw a Mrs. Hargreaves on the street while I was doing my beat, and she seemed to think that…
JULIO: Well, I guess you’d better come in after all, Copper. And put your hands up.
SANCHO: I told you.
MORT: Easy fellas…
COP: I know you, you’re Cordova’s guys.
JULIO: Yeah, and we know you too. You’re outta the eighth precinct. That makes you on the payroll of the Boscone gang. It was a bunch of you guys that provided the muscle for the hit on our distillery a couple ‘o nights back.
COP: That was business. You don’t want to do anything stupid here. It don’t matter who’s side you’re on if you get labelled a cop killer.
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) Don’t go threatenin’ us. Some good friends died cos’ a you bums.
COP: Yeah, well, you should be more careful who you associate with.
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) Why, you…
SOUND: GUNSHOT. BODY DROP
MORT: Aw, hell! You just shot a cop in the head.
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) A dirty cop. (BEAT) Yeah, I shot him. What of it?
MORT: You’ve made me an accessory, for one thing.
JULIO: Damn it, Sancho. You never think.
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) You should have let me deal with the dame in the first place.
MORT: Hell. I’ve got the guy’s blood on my face. Let me go splash some water on.
JULIO: That your bathroom back there?
MORT: Yeah.
JULIO: Sancho, wait here while I check it before he goes in. And drag the body out of the doorway. I don’t want anyone else gettin’ plugged if we can help it. Maybe roll it up in one o’ these rugs.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS
SOUND: DOOR OPENS
SANCHO : (STUTTERING) Well? Any other exits?
JULIO: (AT A DISTANCE – APPROACHING) Nah. There’s a window, but he ain’t leavin’ that way unless he can fly. (BEAT) Alright. I guess you can go wash your face. That shiner’s lookin’ none too pretty. Who give it to you? The girl?
MORT: I think she woulda liked to, after I told her I wouldn’t help, but no. I got that this morning when I was picking up a late breakfast.
JULIO: You’re a popular guy.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS – UNDER.
MORT: (AT A DISTANCE) Tell me about it.
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) Are we gonna just walk him out o’ here?
JULIO: If he’s willing to come on his own…
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) Then he’s dumber ‘n paint…
JULIO: …but it’s all the better for us.
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) Cordova ain’t gonna let him live after this.
JULIO: And whose fault is that? The boss ain’t gonna be too happy about you killing the copper.
SANCHO: (STUTTERING) He was workin’ fer the other side. We woulda had to do something about him at some time, anyway.
JULIO: Bah! The boss had a reason for keepin’ Flintwich alive. This complicates things.
SOUND: DOOR CLOSES.

SCENE 10: INT – BATHROOM
(MORT, JAKE)

SOUND: WATER IN TAP – UNDER.
MORT: (BARELY HOLDING HIMSELF TOGETHER) Damnit! They shot a cop.
JAKE: You gotta get outta here Mort.
MORT: (PANIC SETTING IN) They shot a cop!
JAKE: Snap out of it and think!
MORT: I could try going with them. See if I can find an opportunity to…
JAKE: No. You don’t get it. Cordova’s not gonna be happy with a simple “chat”. He’s gonna wanna be certain you don’t know where those girls are.
MORT: And he won’t be any too gentle putting the questions to me. Even if he believes me, I’ll end up with some broken bones.
JAKE: And he can’t let you go if you’re a witness to a cop-killing. When the “chat’s” over, they’ll be taking you out into the woods and putting you in a shallow grave.
MORT: I know, damnit!
JAKE: So what are you gonna do?
MORT: Um…, there’s a ledge below the window. It’s hard to see, so Julio missed it.
JAKE: Yeah, I see it.
MORT: I’ve used it before and it leads round the side of the building to the fire escape.
JAKE: Looks dangerous.
MORT: Sure, but if I’m lucky, I’ll be half a block away before Cordova’s goons realize I’m gone.
JAKE: Well, you better move quick is all I can say.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 11: EXT – ALLEYWAY – MID-DAY
(MORT, JAKE)

SOUND: ALLEY AMBIANCE (DISTANT CARS AND STREET NOISES) – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
JAKE: Damn, but those two women must be in some genuine hot water. This is the second time today you’ve ended up in an alley full of stinking garbage. At least it’s on purpose this time.
MORT: Shut up, Jake. (BEAT) It looks like those goons are coming out of the building now. Damned if they don’t look mad. We need to keep right out of their way.
JAKE: At least they’re carrying that rug with ’em. They’re not leaving a body up in your office. What are you gonna do?
MORT: For a start, I’m gonna sneak back in and get some of my stuff. Then I’m gonna see about negotiating with Caesar Cordova from a safe distance. He knows I’ve got enough on him from the old days to make his life real…
SOUND: DISTANT EXPLOSION – LET IT FINISH
JAKE: What the hell? That was your office. (BEAT) Those girls must be in way more trouble than you thought.
MORT: Son of a… What the hell has Lilly dropped me in?
JAKE: Nothing smelling like roses.
MORT: Aw, hell… Jesse!
JAKE: Huh?
MORT: Cordova knows all about Jesse… at the hospital. She’s the leverage on his side of the agreement. He’ll be sending his goons for her… if he hasn’t already.
JAKE: I thought we didn’t talk about Jesse.
MORT: Jake, so help me… If he’s hurt a hair on her head, I’m going to see he goes to the electric chair.
JAKE: Only if you can avoid getting snuffed yourself. How’d this agreement work between you two?
MORT: I don’t spill what I know to the cops and he lets Jesse live.
JAKE: Then he isn’t gonna kill her… at least not right away. He’ll send his boys to collect her and ensure your cooperation.
MORT: We’ve got to get to the hospital. Fast.
MUSIC: RAPID TIME PASSING SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH

SCENE 12: (INT) HOSPITAL – EARLY AFTERNOON
(NURSE, MORT, JAKE)

NURSE: [CUE] Mr. Flintwich! This is a hospital. You can’t rush in to… Mr. Flintwich?
MORT: Where is she?
NURSE: That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I thought you knew. Some men arrived half an hour ago to transfer her to City Central Hospital. They had papers with your signature on them.
MORT: Call City Central now. Find out if they have any record of a transfer.
NURSE: Uh. Yes, sir. *(UNDER FROM HERE AND FADE) Yes. Operator. Give me City Central hospital, please. This is urgent.
JAKE: Chances are, City Central won’t know anything about this transfer. You know that, right?
MORT: Yeah. (BEAT) Damn I hate the smell of hospitals. It gives me the creeps being here.
JAKE: Is that why you never seem to visit?
MORT: (DEFENSIVE) Hey, I visit.
NURSE: Mr. Flintwich, you were right. City Central Hospital have no record of the transfer. Should I call the police?
MORT: Yeah. Do it now. (BEAT) Damn and hell! Think… Think! I can’t fight Cordova. He’s too big. If I run, he’ll kill Jesse – but that’ll guarantee his own end, won’t it?.
JAKE: You don’t have enough information and this whole situation is spiralling out of control. You need to find Lilly and the kid and figure out what’s behind all this.
MORT: Jake, I’ve got a new plan. There’s a safe house that I set up, years ago – when Caesar and I weren’t such good friends. We’ll stop by my apartment on the way.
JAKE: You know, your place is being watched, right?
MORT: One thing at a time.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 13: (INT) MORT’S APARTMENT – MID AFTERNOON
(MORT, JAKE)

SOUND: WINDOW SILL RAISING
JAKE: Windows again? You can’t seem to keep away from ’em today.
MORT: Shut up. The good news is those goons sitting out the front mean there’s no one inside.
JAKE: And climbing in through the window means you get to avoid ’em while keeping most of your teeth. (BEAT) They sure did look sore didn’t they?
MORT: Yeah, well. Caesar Cordova isn’t great with failure, so I figure they’re pretty motivated to find us right now.
JAKE: So what’s in here that made all that climbing worthwhile?
MORT: I figure I’m not coming back for a few days. I’m going to need some clothes. And I’ve got a little money in the safe.
JAKE: I guess it’s worth a little risk to make sure you’ve got some dough in your pockets. (BEAT) Sheesh, you could clean the place up a bit. It’s not like a one-room apartment needs a lot of effort to keep tidy.
MORT: The place has been tossed, smart guy.
JAKE: How can you tell?
MORT: Funny.
JAKE: Did they get into your safe?
SOUND: KEY AND SAFE DOOR
MORT: Doesn’t look like it. I’ve got about two hundred and fifty in here, plus some change. Hey, keep away from my bed. I sleep there, you know?
JAKE: What? You afraid I’ll get a look at the magazines you keep under it?
MORT: Only if you think there’s something scandalous about model trains. Aw hell, look what they did to my ice box? The doors been ripped off.
JAKE: I wouldn’t want to be in here in a day or two. That food is gonna smell ripe.
MORT: Not much I can do about it now. Not without tipping them off to my having been here. Hey, what’s that?
JAKE: What?
MORT: It’s an envelope. It’s been left under the door.
JAKE: It’s addressed to you.
SOUND: ENVELOPE TEARING
MORT: Damn!
JAKE: Who’s it from?
MORT: It’s from Cordova. Who else? At least I know why he doesn’t have his goons camping in my kitchen now.
JAKE: So, come on. What’s he want?
SOUND: UNFOLDING NOTE
MORT: Ha. He says all will be forgiven if I hand over the girls… and that he’ll return Jesse to the hospital… unharmed. He’s given me until tomorrow midnight.
JAKE: Hey, Mort. You wouldn’t really…
MORT: Nah. I may be all kinds of heel, but I still wouldn’t turn them over to Cordova… at least, not without knowing what this is about.
JAKE: And besides, if Cordova’s got it into his head that you’ve betrayed him, then there’s no way he’s gonna honour a deal like this, even if you do comply.
MORT: (MUSING) Tomorrow midnight. That’s not long.
JAKE: No kidding.
MORT: He’s probably gonna want me dead.
JAKE: And you still have no idea where those women have gone.
MORT: Well, I’m about to remedy that.
JAKE: How?
MORT: You’re forgetting who I am. Once I’ve got my gear, I’m going to get some help… this time from a real ghost.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

ACT 2

SCENE 14: INT – THE SEWERS – AFTERNOON
(MORT, JAKE, JENNY – THE GHOST)

SOUND: DRIPS AND SPLASHES OF A TUNNEL
SOUND: APPROACHING FOOTSTEPS SPLASHING THROUGH WATER
JAKE: I know you want to avoid Cordova’s guys, but this? Is travelling by sewer necessary?
MORT: (SLIPS) Whoa. Aw hell.
JAKE: What?
MORT: I leaned against the damn wall. Slime. As if the smell wasn’t bad enough.
JAKE: So why are we here?
MORT: I’m looking for someone.
JAKE: Down here? You can’t see your hand in front of your face.
MORT: All the same. I’m looking for Jenny Mulrooney. She was murdered last century and her body was dumped down here.
JAKE: Hang on. You mean you weren’t kidding about looking for a ghost?
MORT: I think she haunts the sewers somewhere right about…
JENNY – THE GHOST: ‘Oy! What the ‘ell are you doin’ down ‘ere, Mort Flintwich?
MORT: Jenny! There you are. I’ve been looking for you.
JENNY: Well, you found me. What do you want?
MORT: Straight to the point as usual. You need to get in touch with your humanity from time to time, you know that? And it’s not like you’ve got anything better to do.
JENNY: Oh, but I’m not ‘uman, am I? And getting less so. It’s why you check up on me.
MORT: Uh-huh. And if you won’t give in and let me help you find your rest, one day you’ll lose what’s left of your humanity and become a spectre… and then I’ll have to banish you.
JENNY: I don’t think you’ll be around long enough for that to ever be a problem, even if you live to be an ‘undred. And given your lifestyle choices, I doubt you’ll make ‘alf that.
JAKE: It’s probably true, but she still shouldn’t say it.
JENNY: Have you still got that voice in your ‘ead, Mort?
MORT: Yep.
JENNY: And you still don’t think it’s a genuine ghost?
MORT: Do you?
JENNY: ‘ard to say. It’s rare, but there are some ghosts what the rest of us can’t ‘ear. ‘e could be one o’ them.
MORT: He’s not.
JENNY: Suit yerself. But you ‘aven’t come all the way down ‘ere fer a chat? I’ll ask again, and you’ll answer sharpish or I’m off. What do you want?
MORT: I want a favour.
JENNY: You’re jokin’?
MORT: No. I need someone found. And I know you can do it.
JENNY: Oh, I can do it all right. But you also know why I ‘ang about down ‘ere instead of up ‘igher. I’m not riskin’ a trip topside for you or anybody. I don’t care ‘ow close to bein’ friends we might be.
MORT: It’s important.
JENNY: The answer’s “no”. There are things up there – you know what I’m talkin’ about – that’ll eat the likes of me for supper. It’s too risky.
MORT: You know Caesar Cordova’s on my trail?
JENNY: You know I’ve got no interest in the world of the living.
MORT: (FRUSTRATED) Then what do you have an interest in, Jenny. Tell me?
JENNY: Since you ask. What I’m interested in, is being owed a favour by Mort Flintwich.
JAKE: Oh, hell no!
JENNY: I can see you’re in a tight spot, Mort. If this is as urgent and important as you say, I’ll consider it… for a blood service.
JAKE: Don’t even think about agreeing to this, Mort.
MORT: A blood service?
JENNY: Uh-huh. You’ll owe me a service, sealed in blood. An irrevocable bindin’ service. A favour that, when it comes due, you won’t be able to refuse.
MORT: No.
JENNY: It won’t be anything you would… object to.
MORT:
It could be anything you damn well choose and you know it.
JENNY: No, we’ll make a pact. It might be risky, maybe even very risky, but it won’t be anythin’ you’d find morally objectionable. I’ll even leave you the option of refusing the task if it offends yer… sense of honour.
MORT: You think I don’t have one.
JENNY: Oh, but I know you do, buried… deep… down. So, what do you say? ‘ow important to you is finding ‘oo-ever it is yer lookin’ for.
MORT: And you expect me to agree, without knowing what it is you want?
JENNY: Fer now. All I want is a promise to keep in my pocket.
MORT: You know, it won’t stop me from banishing you if you turn into a spectre, don’t you? Not if you leave my conscience free of the binding?
JENNY: I know. So, ‘ow much is my ‘elp worth to you?
JAKE: Mort, you can’t be considering this!
MORT: It’s worth a lot, Jenny. I’m in a mess that I don’t understand. Cordova’s taken Jesse and I need to know why. (BEAT) If you can help, I’ll do what you ask.
JENNY: (CACKLES WITH GLEE) You always were a reckless one, Mort. It’s why you’ve always been my favourite. Among the mediums, that is. Who do you need me to find?
MORT: A woman and her daughter. Lilly and Claudette Moreland. You’ll sense the daughter long before you see her. She’s active.
JENNY: Active ‘ow?
MORT: I’ve no idea. But there’s power there. And a criminal named Caesar Cordova wants it.
JENNY: Interesting. But what’s that got to do with Jesse?
MORT: Cordova has Jesse and he wants me to find the women. Like I said, I’ve got to untangle the threads of this thing before I can fix it, and these two women are at the heart of it all. I’ve got to find them for a start.
JENNY: Alright, did you bring anything they’ve ‘andled?
MORT: I’ve got this from the girl. It’s a paper flower.
JENNY: It’ll do and then some. That flower reeks of power. Put it down on that brick over there. Try not to ‘andle it too much. It’s already been in your button-hole longer than is good. I don’t want the residuals to get any more contaminated than they already are. (BEAT) Yeah, that’s it. Now prick your finger and leave a drop of blood on it.
MORT: You agree to the condition that my conscience remain unfettered?
JENNY: I do. And you agree to provide me with one service in exchange for this help… or die trying?
MORT: I do.
JENNY: Good. Now step away. I think I can find ‘er easy enough. Do you ‘ave anything from this “Cordova” character with you as well?
MORT: I’ve got a letter he sent me, but what’s that to you?
JENNY: It’s not important; just a ‘unch, but let me ‘ave a look at it as well.
MORT: And this has no bearing on the pact or the service?
JENNY: No. Consider this a bit o’ good will. No charge.
MORT: Alright. I’ll put it here, beside the flower.
JENNY: Ooh, did you know he was active as well? There’s a distinct trace of power on it.
MORT: (SURPRISED) No, I didn’t. And I’d have noticed. We’ve met on more than one occasion.
JENNY: It’s new. ‘e’s still learning ‘is way around it. You’re gonna want to be careful, Mort. (BEAT) Alright, I’ll be back in a jiffy.
MORT: Wait. He’s holding a friend of mine. Jesse. If you’re going to poke around his place, can you see what you can find out about her too?
JENNY: That wasn’t part of our bargain.
MORT: But as you’re planning to look around anyway?
JENNY: Heh. I’ll see what I can do. Wait ‘ere.
SOUND: WHOOSHING NOISE
JAKE: Is it my imagination, or did she affect the air in here with her departure?
MORT: When a ghost’s been around long enough they can have a small impact on the world around them. Jenny was active when she was alive, so she’s more powerful than most.
JAKE: By “active” you mean…
MORT: Powerful. Magical. Supernaturally gifted. Whatever term you like.
JAKE: I think you’re going to regret the deal you made with her.
MORT: Oh, I know I will.
JAKE: So why’d you do it then?
MORT: I think I should have agreed to help Lilly and her girl right from the start.
JAKE: I hate to say I told you so…
MORT: No you don’t. It’s one of your favourite things.
JAKE: Okay, that’s true. But if you’d listened to me in the first place…
MORT: Yeah, yeah. Save it. Between the cold, the sewer stink, and you, I’m not sure what’s worse.
JAKE: Hmpf!
MORT: I better grab those bits and pieces I put out for Jenny while I’m thinking about it. I’m not sure I want them falling into the hands of anyone who might come across them down here.
MUSIC: TIME PASSING TRANSITION – LET IT FINISH.
SOUND: DRIPS SPLASHES IN A TUNNEL
MORT: (SNORING) FADE UP.
SOUND: WHOOSH
JENNY: Well, ‘ello again. ‘aving a nice little kip are we?
SOUND: DULL THUMP ON WALL
MORT: (WAKES WITH A START) Ow! Damn it. I must have fallen asleep.
JENNY: That or they built a train line through ‘ere while I was out.
JAKE: You’ve just arrived. You should have been here for the whole recital.
MORT: I’m cold and wet and I smell foul. I’m not in the mood for what passes for ghost humour. What did you find?
JENNY: Poor baby. Things are worse up there than I remember. There are more o’ them things roamin’ about. I ‘ad to work pretty ‘ard to avoid ’em.
MORT: Ahuh. What did you find?
JENNY: Now ‘oo’s straight to the point, eh?
MORT: Jenny?
JENNY: Alright, alright. ‘ere it is. The women are ‘iding out in an alley way, back o’ “Smith’s” on North Avenue. Their waitin’ fer it to get dark enough to make a run for it.
MORT: Thanks. That’s what I needed to know.
JENNY: ‘ang on a minute. That’s not all. I ‘ad a look into this Caesar Cordova and you need to ‘ear this. ‘e’s active alright, active and scared. You didn’t tell me there’s a war going on up there.
MORT: Yeah, well. You said you weren’t interested in the world ‘o the living.
JENNY: No, but I am interested when powerful magic starts getting thrown about by amateurs… and Cordova’s an amateur. A powerful one too.
MORT: Wait. Did you see Jesse? Tell me about that first.
JENNY: Alright. ‘E’s got an unconscious woman upstairs in a bed. There’s a guard on the door. ‘Is men were talking about ‘ow no-one’s allowed to go near ‘er.
MORT: Well that confirms that. Do you know what he wants?
JENNY: ‘E’s got some nasty rituals and spells in ‘is office. It looks like ‘e’s been workin’ some dangerous stuff. ‘Is eyes are gone and ‘e was able to see me.
MORT: What?
JENNY: That’s right. ‘e’s got some kind o’ magical vision. It’s creepy. I got outta there quick smart, but not before I saw some things you’re gonna be interested in.
MORT: Okay, I’ll bite. What’d you see?
JENNY: The mansion’s got a marble foyer ‘e’s done up with a summoning circle for conducting rituals. I saw the text ‘e’s using. It’s a ritual to open a gate to… somewhere else.
JAKE: Could she be any more cryptic?
JENNY: You and I both know that there ‘ave been more and more o’ them outworlders finding their way into our world from beyond. I think ‘e intends to open a gate and let ’em all through in a flood.
JAKE: You gotta be kiddin’ me?
MORT: And what’s that got to do with him wanting Claudette?
JENNY: This ritual can’t be done alone. It needs at least two more powerful practitioners to ‘elp it ‘appen.
MORT: But Claudette’s only one.
JENNY: And that’s what’s got me worried the most. Cordova’s an amateur. But someone’s been feeding ‘im this stuff. Someone ‘oo does know what they’re about.
MORT: How do you mean?
JENNY: I think there’s someone at back o’ this ‘oo’s more dangerous than anyone you’ve dealt with so far.
MORT: Well, that’s a problem for later. Right now, I’m interested in finding the two women and getting Jesse back.
JENNY: Then, I think I’ve got some bad news for you. See…
JAKE: Don’t do it…
JENNY: I think I’m going to cash in that favour almost right away.
JAKE: Damn it!
MORT: What?
JENNY: Yeah. If that gate is opened, this city’s gonna be flooded with them monsters and there’s gonna be nowhere that’ll be safe from ’em. In fact, I’m gonna bet that the entire ‘uman species is gonna be in danger. You’re gonna ‘ave to stop ’em Mort.
MORT: What???
JENNY: You ‘eard me. That’s your task, your service. You ‘ave to stop Cordova. If’n ‘e opens ‘is gate… you ‘ave to close it as quickly as possible and drive the monsters back out.
MORT: Just that? I’m glad you didn’t want to set me something impossible.
JENNY: You can’t refuse… and the pact will activate within a few seconds of ‘im opening that gate.
MORT: But this is…
JENNY: This doesn’t violate your conscience in any way. And… it’s bound up with your current objective of finding the girl. If you get to that alleyway sharpish, you can find ‘er and stop Cordova from ever using ‘er in ‘is ritual.
MORT: And assuming I find her, how do you suggest I manage that?
JENNY: Why, kill ‘er of course.
JAKE: Oh, you idiot, Mort!
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.
NARRATOR: Can Mort survive long enough to rescue Jesse from Cordova without selling out Claudette and her mother? Can he find a way to close the gate without killing the little girl? Tune in to episode 3 and find out.
MUSIC: CLOSING THEME AND CREDITS.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He is extremely grateful for the encouragement he receives from his biggest fans — his wife and two boys — all of whom read and enjoy his scripts and, in general, make his life worth living.

You can contact the author regarding performance rights (or simply to say hello) through his website: https://www.weirdworldstudios.com.

THE END

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The post Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 2 – Never Send to Know appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 1 – No Good Deed

Philip Robotham — Mon, 14 Mar 2022 10:00:47 +0000

Below we present the complete text of No Good Deed; episode 1 of Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War.

No Good Deed

Parental Guidance Recommended: May contain content some parents may feel is inappropriate for younger children

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #1 – No Good Deed

by Philip Craig Robotham

Cover illustration by Philip Craig Robotham

Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Edition.

CC by-nc-nd 4.0

Other works by this author can be found at the author’s website: https://weirdworldstudios.com or through select, online book retailers.

Episode 1: No Good Deed

No Good Deed

CAST LIST

MORT FLINTWICH

JAKE SPENCER

CAESAR CORDOVA

MADAM SOFIA MALEFICENT

LILLY MORELAND

CLAUDETTE MORELAND

WU CHENG

OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING

BRUNO

JULIO

SANCHO

LITTLE GIRL IN TRAFFIC

JIMMY

STAN

CHARITY COLLECTOR

DOCTOR

RECEPTIONIST

WAITRESS

CUSTOMER #1

CUSTOMER #2

WOMAN (KNOCKED OVER BY LILLY AND SANCHO)

MRS HARGREAVES

POLICEMAN #1 (WHO DIES)

POLICEMAN #2 (AT WAREHOUSE)

POLICEMAN #3 (AT WAREHOUSE)

SCRUG

SCRAT

OUTWORLDER (RIVAL TO THE SPOKESBEING)

OUTWORLDER MINION (KILLED WITH SWORD ON STREET CORNER)

OUTWORLDER MINION (ATTACKING LILLY)

OUTWORLDERS

GANGSTER SPOKESMAN

GANGSTERS

OUTWORLDER LEADER

SFX ARTISTS

ACT 1

SCENE 1 : EXT – STREET – MORNING
(MORT, JAKE, GIRL, CHARITY COLLECTOR, STAN, JIMMY)

MUSIC: OPENING THEME – LET IT FINISH.
NARRATOR: Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War, Episode 1: No Good Deed.
It’s Morning on a gray day in 1934. The grimy streets of Star City are full of the exhaust fumes of morning traffic.
SOUND: STREET AMBIANCE (CARS, PEOPLE, ETC.) – ESTABLISH AND UNDER.
SOUND: MORT’S FOOTSTEPS – ESTABLISH AND FADE.
MORT FLINTWICH: For a hallucination, Jake, you’re quite the nag. I just want a sandwich.
JAKE SPENCER: It’s 9.00 am! You keep filling up like this and you’re gonna end up like me.
MORT: Non-existent and neurotic?
JAKE: Funny guy. No, big as a house instead of your current skinny shape.
MORT: (DISMISSIVE) Pah!
JAKE: And I’m not the neurotic here. You’re the one who thinks he’s talking to himself in the middle of a busy street.
MORT: Hey, a little odd behavior is good for business. I’m a medium, remember?
JAKE: Yeah sure – Mort Flintwich, medium for hire. Freelance charlatan to the rich and famous. How’s that working out for you?
MORT: Meh!
JAKE: (SNORTS) Uh-huh.
MORT: People get a good show when they come to me, even if I do cost.
JAKE: For someone who tells lies for a living, you’re your own best customer.
MORT: Not this again.
JAKE: You’re not a charlatan, Mort. You can talk to ghosts. The real deal. And I should know.
MORT: (WEARILY) Here we go.
JAKE: ‘Cos I’m a ghost and you’re talking to me in the middle of a crowded city street.
MORT: I’ve spoken to plenty of ghosts, Jake, and you’re not one. You’re the result of head trauma.
JAKE: Bah!
MORT: (PETULANT) My scrambled brain made you up.
JAKE: Rubbish. You’re not that creative.
MORT: (STUBBORNLY) You’re NOT a ghost.
JAKE: Uh-huh. Have it your own way. (BEAT) Why do you pretend to talk to ghosts when you could be doing it for real?
MORT: Ghosts have been getting scarce. These days I end up dealing with… other things. Tricksters. Some folks call them outworlders.
JAKE: (SKEPTICAL) Tricksters, Mort? Seriously?
MORT: I don’t know what they are underneath, but they ain’t spirits. I’d rather be an old-fashioned charlatan than deal with those things.
JAKE: (STILL SKEPTICAL) Uh-huh.
MORT: And they look wrong too. Four arms, a tail, a head full of evil looking teeth. They’re something else, something alien.
JAKE: (SCOFFING) Pfffft! Maybe you are damaged in the head.
MORT: (RAISING VOICE IN EXASPERATION) That’s what I’ve been saying.
JAKE: Hey, keep it down. People will stare.
MORT: Like anyone pays attention in this city? Break a leg in front of this lot and they’ll trample each other to get away from you. People gave up caring about each other here… years ago.
JAKE: Like you’re any different?
MORT: But that’s my point. I’m not. It’s what this city teaches you. You learn it’s a dog-eat-dog world and, once you realize it, you leave the dogs to it.
JAKE: Aw, come on. It ain’t that bad.
MORT: Yeah, it is. (BEAT) Hey! Hey kid, watch out!
GIRL: Hey!
SOUND: HORN BLARING. SCREECHING TYRES. TRUCK COMES TO HALT.
MORT: Sheesh, kid! You coulda been killed.
GIRL: Let go of me, Jerk!
MORT: Nice! Next time, maybe I’ll let you walk under the truck.
GIRL: Aw, go soak your head.
SOUND: GIRL RUNS OFF
MORT: See. No good deed ever goes unpunished.
JAKE: Yeah, right. Cos’ getting yelled at by a nine-year-old proves it woulda been better to watch her get flattened.
MORT: Aw, shut up.
JAKE: Snappy.
MORT: In forty minutes I’m going to be back in my office getting ready to fleece Mrs Hargreaves with a new show.
JAKE: So?
MORT: If you think I’m gonna grow a conscience about it, you’re talking to the wrong guy.
JAKE: Sure, sure. Your heart’s made o’ stone. (BEAT) You ain’t foolin’ anyone.
JIMMY: (INTERRUPTING) Hey. You’re Mortimer Flintwich ain’t you?
MORT: What now?
STAN: Yeah, that’s him. Get him into the alley.
SOUND: SOUND OF STRUGGLE – FADE UNDER TRAFFIC ETC.
MORT: Hey… What the…?
JIMMY: Shut up. We’ve been looking for you, charlatan.
MORT: Look I don’t know you guys. You can’t possibly have a beef with me.
STAN: Yeah, well… our employer does.
JIMMY: See, we been paid to “encourage Mort Flintwich to drop Mrs Laura Hargreaves as a client”. Her son’s not keen on you chipping at his inheritance.
MORT: Seriously? Hargreaves can afford it. And hell, most of these pigeons don’t even believe in what I do. They just come for the show. You should see it sometime.
STAN: Funny guy. My ma got taken by one o’you hucksters for a couple o’ C’s.
MORT: Yeah, and I’m guessing your ma couldn’t afford it. But she isn’t my kind of mark. I bilk the rich and stupid. (BEAT) Come on fellas. We don’t have to do this.
JIMMY: It’s nothing personal, bub-
STAN: Speak for yourself.
JIMMY: …but we’ve been paid.
STAN: Yeah, you know how it is?
JIMMY: We saw you save that kid before, so maybe keep the wise-cracks to yourself and we’ll go a little easy on you. Whattaya say?
MORT: Yeah, sure. (BEAT) (TO STAN) You know, I think I met your mother once.
JAKE: (WARNING) Mort-
STAN: How’s that?
JAKE: (WARNING) Mort… don’t-
MORT: Yeah. She was so ugly she was scaring blind children.
STAN: Why you…
SOUND: BODY BLOWS, GRUNTS, RATTLE OF TRASH CANS (GIVE IT A FEW SECONDS)
STAN: Not so smart now, are you?
CHARITY COLLECTOR: Hey! Hey! What’s going on down there? Hey, Police. Someone’s being mugged.
JIMMY: Come on, time to go. We’ve mussed him up enough for now.
STAN: Heh. Yeah.
SOUND: THUGS WALK AWAY – UNDER.
MORT: (GROANS).
JAKE: Aw, Mort! (BEAT) Anything broken?
MORT: Don’t sweat it. I’ve got a split lip, some bruised ribs, and my eye feels tenderized, but that’s the price you pay. (SPITS) Damn, I hate the taste of blood.
JAKE: At least you didn’t lose any teeth this time. Seriously, Mort. What’re you gonna do?
MORT: I could lie here for a while… you know embrace the feel of the concrete beneath my back.
JAKE: Yeah? Well don’t roll to your left. There’s some nasty looking run-off beside you.
MORT: Funny. (GROANS) Ugh.
JAKE: What about Mrs. Hargreaves? You gonna let her go?
MORT: That’s a fat fee I’d be giving up if I did.
JAKE: It’s your funeral.
MORT: (GROANING) C’mon. Let’s get back on the street. I still want that sandwich.
SOUND: HURRIEDLY APPROACHING FEET.
CHARITY COLLECTOR: Hey mister. You okay?
MORT: Yeah, fine.
CHARITY COLLECTOR: That’s gonna be a nasty shiner. Those fellas did you over pretty good.
MORT: (GRUNTS AS HE GETS UP) Yeah, thanks for chasing them off like that.
CHARITY COLLECTOR: No problem. (BEAT) Listen, can you spare some change? It’s for the soup kitchens. Lots of people out of work.
MORT: Are you kidding me? (CALLING OVER HIS SHOULDER AS HE WALKS AWAY) Charity collecting? Beat it, sis. People gotta stand on their own two feet.
JAKE: You know Mort, I take it all back. You’re a jerk!
MORT: Glad we see eye to eye.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 2: INT – MOBSTER’S OFFICE – MORNING
(CAESAR CORDOVA, MADAME SOFIA MALEFICENT, BRUNO)

MUSIC: FADE UP SOFT CLASSICAL MUSIC ON A PHONAGRAPH.
SOUND: CAT MEOWS – LET IT FINISH
MADAME SOFIA MALEFICENT: (SOFTLY) Look at you, cat. Living in luxury; silken drapes, velvet-upholstered chairs, soft and expensive rugs… (BREATHES DEEPLY) and fresh cut flowers.
SOUND: CAT MEOWS AGAIN –
SOFIA: Oh, but you’re hungry, aren’t you? Come here.
SOUND: CAT PURRS.
SOFIA: Do you know what manner of monster holds you, cat?
SOUND: CAT MEOWS A QUERY
SOFIA: Hmpf! Today, cat, I’m orchestrating the world’s end, but I can’t see the finish. Too many magical people involved. It… unnerves me.
SOUND: CAT MEOWS
SOFIA: Oh, quiet. Your owner will be here shortly.
SOUND: TWO SETS OF MUFFLED MALE FOOTSTEPS APPROACH OUTSIDE THE DOOR.
BRUNO: I’m sorry Mr. Cordova, but they’ve hit us up north.
CAESAR CORDOVA: Again, Bruno? What does that leave us?
BRUNO: The bootlegging operation is gone. This raid destroyed our supplies. We lost a bunch of torpedoes too. Some of ’em are dead, the rest have gone over to Boscone and Tremere.
CAESAR: Damn those cowards!
BRUNO: We’ve still got the gambling houses so I think the bookies are likely the next target.
CAESAR CORDOVA: What’s our man-power like?
BRUNO: Our allies are getting thin. We can’t rely on the mayor’s office, and the fifth precinct will flip on us soon.
CAESAR: (DISGUSTED) Such a waste. We’ve got to hit back or they’ll roll us up like a carpet.
BRUNO: Boss, we haven’t been in a position to hit back for weeks. I think we need to consider…
CAESAR: No! I have obligations. To my family. To my employees. I will not abandon them.
SOUND: DOOR OPENS. FOOTSTEPS ENTER
BRUNO: But…
CAESAR: I said “No”! That is my final word.
BRUNO: Boss, some o’ the guys who flipped have been hiding under your wing for years. Now they’ve turned their backs on you. They’re not worth it.
CAEASAR: I give loyalty. I will not betray myself. I have already sacrificed too much. My health… My eyes…
BRUNO: Boss… you know I don’t…
CAESAR: It’s okay, Bruno. I know it makes you uncomfortable. The old witch was right, though. The power is there, if you’re willing to seize it… and pay the price.
BRUNO: I was raised an altar boy, boss. Some things should be left alone. Some deals have too high a price.
CAESAR: Higher than what I have already paid? You’re a good man Bruno. You speak your mind and I have always respected this, but…
SOFIA: Hello again, Caesar. Sorry to interrupt.
CAESAR: You! What are you doing in my office, witch? How do you keep getting past my guards?
SOFIA: (DISMISSIVE) Meh. I like to visit your cat.
SOUND: CAT MEOWS.
BRUNO: Boss? You want I should…?
CAESAR: No. I think “Madame Sofia” and I need to talk.
BRUNO: But…
CAESAR: Leave us for a few minutes, Bruno. I’ll be fine.
BRUNO: (RELUCTANT) Yes, Boss.
SOUND: DOOR CLOSES.
CAESAR: Ok, witch. What do you want?
SOFIA: Have you thought about my offer?
CAESAR: After what happened last time?
SOFIA: The power is real, as you have learned.
CAESAR: My eyes? Yes, they are gone. You tricked me, witch.
SOFIA: I did not. When I gave you the ritual, I warned you what might happen. Do you want pity?
CAESAR: No. But you knew I didn’t believe, and you gave it to me anyway.
SOFIA: And it worked. You have a second sight that is far more effective than your first.
CAESAR: And this should please me how?
SOFIA: You can look into the hearts of the people around you and see who they really are. You can see who you can trust and who is going to betray you.
CAESAR: But the price…
SOFIA: The price was what I said it would be. I did not lie.
CAESAR: My family cannot look me in the face unless I wear these glasses. Eyeless sockets are… not pretty.
SOFIA: You were warned.
CAESAR: And you are dangerous! Why should I even let you live?
SOFIA: Because my offer still stands. I can give you an army that can win this petty gang war of yours.
CAESAR: Monsters?
SOFIA: Yes, monsters. But monsters that will do your bidding, destroy your enemies, and let you take control of the entire city.
CAESAR: I have never wanted that kind of power.
SOFIA: I know. But you know what will happen if Boscone and Tremere win?
CAESAR: They have no principles beyond their wealth. (BEAT) Yes, I know what will happen to this city if I stand aside.
SOFIA: So? Do you want my help?
CAESAR: No. I do not. Bruno is right. The price is too high. I cannot afford to risk…
SOFIA: (AGITATED) You need to see the bigger picture, Caesar.
CAESAR: You do NOT get to call me Caesar. I am Mr. Cordova to you. And I already see this so-called big picture.
SOFIA: (SNORTS) Hmpf!
CAESAR: Cities always have crime. But crime can be controlled. I keep the drugs out. I make sure only people who can afford it are robbed. I stop the violence from spilling over into the streets – no civilian casualties. I am good for this city.
SOFIA: (DRILY) I’m sure knowing that will be a comfort when they put you in the ground…
CAESAR: We will see… But I don’t trust you, witch, with good reason. You are too dangerous to tolerate. (CALLING OUT) Bruno!
SOUND: DOOR OPENS
BRUNO: Yes, boss?
CAESAR: I’ve decided. Take this… woman… down to the docks. Dump her body in the river.
BRUNO: (WITH ENTHUSIASM AND RELIEF) Yes, boss.
SOFIA: Ha! You can’t harm me. I’m tempted to sit back and watch your world burn. It’s about what you deserve. But more is at stake here than your little kingdom “Mr.” Cordova.
SOUND: TELEPHONE RINGS – UNDER
CAESAR: Wait a moment, Bruno…
SOUND: TELEPHONE PICKUP
CAESAR: Report! (PAUSE) What’s happened? My wife? My children? (PAUSE) Where are you now? (PAUSE) Take them to the safe house. Send our surviving men to ground. Don’t tell anyone where my family is. Understood? (PAUSE) Good. Thankyou Juan. Stay with them.
SOUND: PHONE HANGS UP.
BRUNO: (BEAT) Boss…?
CAESAR: Boscone attacked my family but Juan got them out. My daughter watched one of my men die in front of her.
(TO SOFIA) It seems there are worse things than you in this world, witch. Tell me what you want in exchange for this army of yours?
BRUNO: Boss, no!
SOFIA: Ah, so we ARE agreed! We will need a few things to make this work.
CAESAR: (SUSPICIOUS) Such as?
SOFIA: I believe you have a thief working for you; goes by the name of Lilly Moreland?
CAESAR: She’s a contractor.
SOFIA: She has a daughter, a magically active girl of about twelve. We’re going to need her.
CAESAR: I don’t threaten children.
SOFIA: Then don’t threaten her. Get her away from her mother for a day or two. The ritual requires the participation of three awakened individuals.
CAESAR: What ritual?
SOPHIA: I have the directions here, don’t worry. The monsters sit behind an ancient dimensional gate. You and I will not be able to open it on our own, but the girl is one of the strongest active individuals in the city.
CAESAR: And she won’t be harmed?
SOFIA: I didn’t say that. There is always risk. But it’s her or your family.
CAESAR: I thought you couldn’t see my future?
SOFIA: Your family are mundane. I can see their end, even if I can’t see yours. Boscone will fillet them himself, just for the fun of it.
CAESAR: I hate this. But… damn it… I will get the girl.
SOFIA: Good. Then I will see you soon. Feed your cat. She’s hungry.
SOUND: CAT MEOWS
CAESAR: Wait! (BEAT) My cat… um, she is… er… that is… my house… it is not safe for her right now. Perhaps you could…
SOFIA: (AMUSED) Are you asking me to look after your cat?
CAESAR: You seem to get along.
SOFIA: You never fail to surprise me, “Mr.” Cordova.
CAESAR: Bah! Do what you want.
(TO BRUNO) Bruno! I need you to go pick up Claudette Moreland (Lilly’s girl). Bring her here in one piece, but leave the mother behind.
BRUNO: Kidnapping, boss?
CAESAR: Do what I ask. And escort this witch out of my… She’s gone!
BRUNO: Your cat’s gone too. Just those “instructions” left on your desk. Damn! How does she do that?
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 3: INT – GANG WAREHOUSE – MORNING
(JULIO, SANCHO, BRUNO, VIGO)

SOUND: SMACK OF FISTS (THREE OR FOUR).
JULIO: Alright, that’s enough, Sancho. Vigo’s unconscious again.
SANCHO: (GRUNTS) Pity.
JULIO: I thought you and Vigo were friends.
SANCHO: We worked together.
JULIO: Yeah. There ain’t no lasting friendships in this job, huh? (BEAT) Grab the bucket and douse him again.
SANCHO: Sure.
SOUND: SPLASH OF WATER THROWN OVER VIGO
VIGO: (COUGHING AND SPLUTTERING, SPEAKING SLOWLY AND IN SIGNIFICANT PAIN) Ugh. Looks like I’m still alive. Can’t you get it over with, already.
JULIO: We’re following the boss’s orders, Vigo. It’s nothing personal.
SANCHO: Heh. Yeah.
SOUND: SMACK
VIGO: (GRUNTS)
JULIO: The boss said he wanted you to suffer before we put you in the ground, so…
SOUND: SMACK.
VIGO: Go… to Hell!
SOUND: SMACK.
VIGO: (GRUNTS)
JULIO: This ain’t our doing, Vigo. It’s your own fault. You should never have betrayed the boss.
VIGO: Switching sides was the smart thing. You’re gonna die if you stick with Cordova.
JULIO: You think? That’s pretty funny.
SOUND: SMACK.
VIGO: (GRUNTS) How’s that?
JULIO: Well, here’s you, trying to avoid dying by joinin’ t’other side. And here’s us, killin’ you for the exact same thing. Who’s the smart one now?
SOUND: SMACK
VIGO: (GRUNTS)
SOUND: PHONE STARTS RINGING
JULIO: Hang on a sec.
SOUND: PHONE PICKS UP
JULIO: Yeah, this is Julio talkin’. (BEAT) Yeah, Bruno, Sancho’s here too. What? Okay. Who do you want us to pick up? (BEAT) A kid? (WRITING IT DOWN) Claudette Moreland. Is that Lilly’s kid? (BEAT) If you say so. Yeah, yeah. No civilian casualties. Got it.
SOUND: PHONE HANGS UP.
JULIO: Pack it up, Sancho. We’ll come back to this later.
SANCHO: Yeah?
JULIO: I know you’re just gettin’ started. But he’s goin’ nowhere. And the boss needs us to do a little snatch and grab. A priority job, grabbing a kid off the street; Lilly’s kid.
SANCHO: Lilly’s kid?
JULIO: I don’t make the policy, but that was Bruno, so it’s on the level.
SANCHO: D’ya think Lilly’ll be a problem?
JULIO: No civilian casualties, Sancho. Don’t forget what happened last time.
SANCHO: She ain’t no civilian.
JULIO: You’ve had plenty of fun today. Go wash your hands. Besides Vigo’s out cold again. We’ll leave him tied to the chair ’til we get back.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 4: INT – DOCTOR’S OFFICE – MORNING
(DOCTOR, LILLY MORELAND)

SOUND: JANGLE OF INSTRUMENTS IN TRAY. FOOTSTEPS ON HARD FLOOR.
DOCTOR: I like your flower, Lilly.
LILLY MORELAND: What’s that, Doctor?
DOCTOR: The paper flower in your button-hole. I like it.
LILLY: Oh. Right. Claudette makes them. She gave me one this morning.
DOCTOR: She’s a talented little girl. (AWKWARD BEAT)
LILLY MORELAND: (JOKING) So, Doc, you’ve had some fun and, um… poked around. It’s time to put your books to good use. How long have I got?
DOCTOR: (BEAT)
LILLY: Doc? (BEAT) This the part where you explain how I’m going to live a long and… vigorous life. You know? It’s our banter.
DOCTOR: Lilly, I’m sorry… but…
LILLY: (HEAVY COUGHING) Ugh. I hate that taste – like bitter copper. It’s a few bloody noses and a cold, right?
DOCTOR: No. It’s not. I… I hate giving bad news to my patients, but… Lilly, you’re dying.
LILLY: What??! I haven’t been properly sick in twelve years – not since Claudette was born – and the first time I get so much as a blood-nose you tell me this?
DOCTOR: I know it’s a surprise. The disease advanced quickly. Your immune system turned on itself. I’ve never seen so many active pathogens in one body.
LILLY: Pathogens?
DOCTOR: You’re riddled with bacteria and your cells are essentially shredding. There’s nothing I can do.
LILLY: But…
DOCTOR: You’ve got maybe a month, maybe less. Frankly, I’m amazed you’re still alive.
LILLY: This is crazy. The bloody noses and coughing only started a week ago. They’re annoying, but…
DOCTOR: I’m sorry. I wish I had better news. But it’s important you think about the future… your daughter’s future. (BEAT) What will you tell her?
LILLY: What? Um… I don’t know. I need time to… This can’t be happening. (COUGHS AGAIN).
DOCTOR: I can give you the name of a priest or minister… if that would help?
LILLY: No… I mean, thank you. (BEAT) I can’t concentrate in here. It smells too much like antiseptic.
SOUND: CHAIR SCRAPES
DOCTOR: Please, wait. There are things that have to be arranged. If only for your daughter’s sake.
LILLY: Claudette can’t know about this. She already takes on too much responsibility.
DOCTOR: You’re dying Lilly. Your daughter deserves a chance to prepare herself.
LILLY: No! I’ll figure something out, but I’m not telling her before I have to.
DOCTOR: Lilly, I’ve seen this before. She’ll hate you for it. It’s better to get it out in the open as soon as possible.
LILLY: I said no!
DOCTOR: Alright, I won’t push. But you’re going to need help, and someone to look after Claudette. What about her father?
LILLY: He’s long gone. And even if he wasn’t, I wouldn’t leave her with him.
DOCTOR: Okay. What about state care? I have some contacts in local orphanages. Maybe I could…
LILLY: No. Absolutely not! She’s never going into an orphanage.
DOCTOR: Lilly, you can’t ignore this. You’re going to need care yourself, and soon…
LILLY: I’m not ignoring it. I’ll figure something out. I need… time… to think.
DOCTOR: Alright, but at least take these guardianship papers with you.
SOUND: PAPERS CHANGE HANDS
LILLY: Um…
DOCTOR: They’ll let you put Claudette somewhere that you choose. And before you go, I want you to make another appointment.
LILLY: But…
DOCTOR: This disease will get nasty towards the end. There are medicines that can help with the pain.
LILLY: Uh… thankyou, doctor.
DOCTOR: I’ll walk you out.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 5: INT – DOCTOR’S RECEPTION – MORNING
(SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, RECEPTIONIST, DOCTOR, LILLY)

SOUND: TYPING – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
SOFIA: There she is, talking to the receptionist while her mother’s in with the doctor. She looks like a boy in those overalls and bob-cut.
SOUND: MEOW OF QUERY
SOFIA: Quietly, cat. She can’t see or hear us yet, but I don’t want to stretch my magic too much covering up your noise.
RECEPTIONIST: You’re quiet. Watcha doing?
CLAUDETTE MORELAND: Making paper flowers.
RECEPTIONIST: A bit ugly, aren’t they?
CLAUDETTE: You can have one if you want. The waiting room needs some decorations.
RECEPTIONIST: (DEFINITE) No thanks! They’d look tacky, like everything else. I guess that’s what you get in a cheap clinic. (POINTEDLY AND WITH DISDAIN) The clients down here rarely pay.
CLAUDETTE: So, why don’t you like my mom?
RECEPTIONIST: I never said that.
CLAUDETTE: But you don’t like her. I can tell.
RECEPTIONIST: I like everyone who pays their bills.
CLAUDETTE: Uh-huh?
RECEPTIONIST: In the five years she’s been bringing you here, your mother’s never once paid the bill. And the Doctor’s too tender hearted to make an issue of it.
CLAUDETTE: You’re a liar. My mom always pays her debts.
RECEPTIONIST: You think so, huh? Well, I think your mom’s a dead-beat whose gonna get what’s coming to her.
CLAUDETTE: What do you know, you ugly cow?
RECEPTIONIST: How dare you! You think I don’t know what you are? What your mother is? No job. No man. It doesn’t take a genius to join the dots.
CLAUDETTE: What are you saying?
RECEPTIONIST: Your mom ain’t home much after dark, is she? Or maybe she’s home too much. Lots of uncles come visiting, do they?
CLAUDETTE: You take that back. My mom takes jobs where she can get them, and she works hard.
RECEPTIONIST: What would you know? You’re a silly little girl.
CLAUDETTE: Oh, and how respectable are you? Your husband’s off with the Grocer’s wife every time you turn your back.
RECEPTIONIST: (HORRIFIED) How’d you…? Who told? You’re making things up, you little…
CLAUDETTE: Don’t hit me!
SOFIA: (INTERRUPTING) Arkash Mishpak Narosh!
SOUND: MAGICAL CHIME
CLAUDETTE: (LONG BEAT) Um… you’re frozen. (BEAT) Are you dead?
SOFIA: She’s not dead, Claudette.
CLAUDETTE: (GASPS) Who are you? Where’d you come from?
SOFIA: I’d say she’s pretty angry judging by that backswing. Still, she won’t be able to bother you for a while.
I, um… stopped her for a moment. It won’t last.
CLAUDETTE: I guess I shouldn’t have read her mind and said that mean stuff. She made me really mad. Are you here to hurt me? Are you a witch?
SOFIA: (LAUGHS) No, though some folks think so. I’m a Romany. People often call us gypsies.
CLAUDETTE: I can’t read you. That’s unusual. I can read most people, except my mom, unless they are like me. Are you? Like me, I mean?
SOFIA: Do you mean, can I read minds? No. But I can do other things. So could you, if you were trained. People who are magically active are usually impossible to read.
CLAUDETTE: Why can’t I read my mom?
SOFIA: She has magic. She doesn’t know what her gift is, though.
CLAUDETTE: Really? She doesn’t like to talk about people having abilities. She probably needs some training. Is that why you’ve come? To train me, or mom?
SOFIA: No. Time’s passing and this spell will attract outworlders if we aren’t quick.
CLAUDETTE: Outworlders? What are they? Is that one in your pocket?
SOFIA: In my pocket?
CLAUDETTE: Your pocket’s moving.
SOFIA: Oh. No, that’s Cat. She’s moving around.
SOUND: MEOW.
CLAUDETTE: She’s beautiful. You’ve only just got her, haven’t you?
SOFIA: Are you reading her?
CLAUDETTE: Uh-huh.
SOFIA: Clever. With some luck you’ll… no, it’s too late and I’ve used far too much power creating this time bubble. We need to talk quickly, dear.
CLAUDETTE: What do you want?
SOFIA: (WITH SUDDEN FEROCIOUS URGENCY)I need you to do something, Claudette. I know you don’t know me, but it’s important. You need to ask your mother to find Mortimer Flintwich. Can you remember that name?
CLAUDETTE: You’re scaring me a little.
SOFIA: I’ve been told I’m a scary woman. But I’m no threat to you Claudette. Not at the moment.
CLAUDETTE: Good.
SOFIA: But I know someone who is. You’ve heard of Caesar Cordova, haven’t you? Your mother works for him.
CLAUDETTE: Yes. He’s scary. I can’t read him either, and his eyes… there is something wrong with them. He looked at me and he…
SOFIA: I know, Claudette. He can see your abilities. And he wants them… wants you. He’s sending men to get you, but Mortimer Flintwich can protect you.
CLAUDETTE: But how can he…?
SOFIA: He may be the only one who can. Caesar mustn’t get you before the appointed hour.
CLAUDETTE: The appointed…?
SOFIA: Trust me, Claudette. It’s more important than you could possibly…
CLAUDETTE: But you’ll protect us, right?
SOUND: RUSHING WIND
SOFIA: (ALARMED) Wait! They’re here.
CLAUDETTE: Who? Who’re here?
SOUND: HISSING SCUTTLING NOISES
SCRAT (OUTWORLDER): (HISSING WHISPER) Can you smell it, brother? Wild magic. Magic that drains. Magic that weakens.
SCRUG (OUTWORLDER): Yes, yes. Magic that weakens. Fool’s magic. The magic of one who wants to be fed upon.
SOFIA: You’ll find no easy prey here, outworlder.
SCRAT: It’s you. Do you think you can stop us? And a child? She’ll be delicious.
SOFIA: You are few enough, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve, yet.
SCRUG: Think so? Your spell is a beacon. The few who come now are nothing. Many will soon arrive.
SOFIA: I don’t think you’re just talking about my spell are you?
SCRUG: The barrier is growing thin. It will break. And then your world become our world.
SCRAT: Yes.
SOFIA: Really? And why are you so keen to make yourselves at home here?
SCRUG: Your ancestors drove us out of this world. Now something has found us. A horror. And we are being destroyed
SOFIA: Good!
SCRUG: You dare! We are hunted. But we will soon break through. More of us are finding a way. And you cannot stop us.
SOFIA: I can still do this, monsters. (BEAT) Incendiaré Conflagraté!
SOUND: WHOOSH OF FLAME
SCRUG: Flames. Pain.
SCRAT: It burns. It… Flee!
SOUND: SMALL EXPLOSION OF AIR
CLAUDETTE: (EXCITED) You saved us!
SOFIA: Easy girl. No need for hugs.
CLAUDETTE: I’m going to call you Granny from now on.
SOFIA: There’s no need to call me anything. In fact, don’t mention my part in this to anyone… ever.
CLAUDETTE: (CONFUSED) Alright.
SOFIA: Convince your mother to find Mortimer Flintwich. Promise me?
CLAUDETTE: Why?
SOFIA: It’s a matter of survival. You must survive and you won’t, and your mother won’t, without Flintwich’s help. So promise me. Find Mort Flintwich.
CLAUDETTE: Okay. I promise.
SOFIA: Good girl. Now I have to ask you to do something hard. Go stand by the desk. That woman is going to hit you.
CLAUDETTE: I can do it, Granny. (BEAT) No, wait. Take this…
SOFIA: A paper flower? You keep it, ok? (BEAT) I’m dropping the spell… now!
SOUND: DOOR OPENS – LET IT FINISH.
DOCTOR: Goodbye Lilly. Come back and see me when… What’s that smell…? It’s like… burning dust.
SOUND: FACE BEING SLAPPED.
RECEPTIONIST: …you little beggar!
CLAUDETTE: (STARTS CRYING – CONTINUE UNDER)
LILLY: (SHOCKED) Claudette! (COUGHING) Are you alright? What the hell kind of place are you running here, doctor!
DOCTOR: (ALSO SHOCKED) Mrs Atkins, you struck a child!
RECEPTIONIST: Doctor, I…
DOCTOR: There is absolutely no excuse, Mrs Atkins. You’re fired. Mrs. Moreland, I can only offer you my sincerest apologies.
RECEPTIONIST: But Doctor, she…
LILLY: You are not blaming this on my daughter…(TO THE DOCTOR) and it’s “Miss”. (COUGHING) Come on Claudette. We’re leaving.
SOUND: DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES – LET IT FINISH.
SOFIA: (DISTANTLY ECHOING) Well done girl. (BEAT) (LAUGHING) And you gave your mother a way to avoid settling her account – again.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.

SCENE 6: EXT – ON THE STREET – MORNING
(CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JULIO, SANCHO)

SOUND: BUSY STREET AMBIANCE (CARS, PEOPLE ETC., OCCASIONAL CAR HORNS) – ESTABLISH AND UNDER
LILLY: I can’t believe that woman hit you.
CLAUDETTE: It’s all right, mom. It wasn’t as hard as it sounded.
LILLY: That’s not the point. (COUHGING) I’m gonna sue. I’m gonna…
CLAUDETTE: Are you okay Mom? What did the doctor say?
LILLY: It’s nothing. What matters is that woman and what she…
CLAUDETTE: Mom, stop! I’ve got something really important to tell you… about Mr. Cordova.
LILLY: What? How do you know about Mr. Cordova?
CLAUDETTE: C’mon ma. We live in the same apartment. I know you work for him sometimes.
LILLY: You do, huh?
CLAUDETTE: Sure. I see the notes and letters you get.
LILLY: Then you know he’s not an easy man to work for (STARTS COUGHING AGAIN) and you also know it’s important you don’t mention me working for him to anyone else.
CLAUDETTE: Why not?
LILLY: Never you mind. But it’s important alright?
CLAUDETTE: Okay. But he’s coming for me.
LILLY: What?
CLAUDETTE: You know how I can tell things sometimes?
LILLY: Claudette, we’ve talked about this?
CLAUDETTE: (PETULANT) We’ve talked about how you never want to talk about this. And you don’t believe you’ve got a gift too, but you do.
LILLY: Honey, this isn’t the time or place.
CLAUDETTE: But it is. You have to know. And you have to know now. Mr. Cordova is looking for me. He wants me because of my ability.
LILLY: You’re not playing games with me, are you Claudette? Because, if this is real, then we need to get off the street. Now.
CLAUDETTE: There’s more. We have to find someone to stay safe.
LILLY: What? Who?
CLAUDETTE: All I know’s his name; Mortimer Flintwich.
LILLY: (SHOCKED) Good grief! Where did you hear about him?
CLAUDETTE: BEAT
LILLY: Claudette? Where did you hear that name? You haven’t been snooping have you? Like with Mr. Cordova?
SOFIA: (ECHOING IN MEMORY) Don’t mention my part in this to anyone… ever.
CLAUDETTE: You know I know things, mom. I don’t know how, but I do. Who’s Mortimer Flintwich?
JULIO: (AT A DISTANCE) Hey! That’s them.
LILLY: (DISTRACTED) Oh no! Baby, I think we’re in trouble.
CLAUDETTE: Why..? (REALIZING) Oh…
LILLY: Yeah. There’s two of them. We need to run.
SOUND: PILE OF PAPER FALLING
CLAUDETTE: No, wait. I dropped my flowers.
LILLY: Claudette, we don’t have time.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS – JULIO AND SANCHO APPROACH
JULIO: (FALSELY POLITE AND CHEERFUL) Good morning ladies. Are these flowers yours?
CLAUDETTE: Um…
JULIO: You won’t mind if Sancho picks ’em up for you.
SOUND: PAPER SCOOPED UP AND CRUMPLED (BEAT).
SOUND: RIPPING OF PAPER.
SANCHO: (SNICKERS) Heh.
JULIO: (FALSELY REPROVING) Sancho! (BEAT) Was that nice? I wanted you to help the young lady.(TO CLAUDETTE – FALSELY CONTRITE) I’m truly sorry, miss. (BEAT) But we’re not actually here for the flowers. We was wondering if we could offer you a lift up-town to visit with Mr. Cordova. He’d like to talk.
LILLY: That’s mighty kind of you, Julio. Does Mr. Cordova have another job for me?
JULIO: Sorry, Lil, the invitation ain’t for you. It’s for the little one… alone.
CLAUDETTE: I’m not going with you!
JULIO: Now, don’t make a fuss. We don’t want to hurt you.
LILLY: (COUGHING) Yeah, no civilian casualties, right? I’m an employee too. I know Cordova’s rules. Is that why the big, silent one’s here? In case we don’t cooperate?
JULIO: That’s about the sum of it.
LILLY: There aren’t a lot of uses that a gangster could have for a young girl. And none that I’d want my daughter exposed to.
JULIO: Sorry, Lil. I’m doing my job.
LILLY: And I’m guessing, if we run, Cordova’ll have a contract out on us before we can blink.
JULIO: This only ends one way, Lil, so cooperate. Sancho’s here to bring the hurt only if it’s needed.
LILLY: Really?
JULIO: You don’t want to end up face down in one of those trash cans over there. And, I gotta tell you, Lil,… Sancho enjoys smacking women around.
LILLY: (SULTRY) Oh, I don’t believe that. (TO SANCHO) A big guy like you. I bet underneath all that muscle, you’re a pussycat. Afterall, most men are easy to handle if someone knees them (GRUNTS) here…
SANCHO: (GRUNTS IN PAIN) Ugh!
SOUND: PARTIAL BODY DROP (TO KNEES).
LILLY: Or (TO JULIO) gets in a sucker punch to the throat like this… (GRUNTS)
JULIO: (ALSO GRUNTS IN PAIN) Ugh!
SOUND: SMACK AND BODY DROP.
LILLY: C’mon, kid. Run!
JULIO: (GETTING UP, CHOKING IN PAIN) Oh, you better run. You’re gonna pay for that Lil’. On your feet Sancho. We’ve gotta get after ’em.
SANCHO: (GRUNTS) She’s gonna pay. (BEAT)I think I’ve got a clear shot.
SOUND: GUNSHOT
SANCHO: Missed.
JULIO: Put the gun away, idiot! You know the rules.
SANCHO: But she…
BYSTANDER (LADY): (AT A DISTANCE) Police! Police! He’s got a gun. Police!
JULIO: That tears it. We gotta move.
SOUND: RUNNING FEET.
MUSIC: TIME PASSING TRANSITION
SOUND: STREET AMBIANCE (AT A DISTANCE)
LILLY: (BREATHING HARD)
CLAUDETTE: Mom…
LILLY: (TRYING TO STIFLE HER COUGHING) Shh! Stay quiet.
JULIO: (AT A DISTANCE) Damn it! I think we’ve lost ’em. Sancho, you go that way.
SANCHO: (GRUNTS AFFIRMATIVELY)
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS DEPART – FADE
LILLY: (RELIEVED) Okay. I think they’re gone… for now.
CLAUDETTE: See. I told you.
LILLY: Claudette…?
CLAUDETTE: Mom, who’s Mortimer Flintwich?
LILLY: He’s… someone I knew a long time ago.
CLAUDETTE: Mom?!
LILLY: Alright, alright. But I’m only explaining because we can’t ask him for help.
(BEAT) (WEARY) We were in the same orphanage. When I was little. Younger than you.
CLAUDETTE: You never talk about when you were my age.
LILLY: (COUGHING) Yeah, well. (BEAT) Anyway, we were friends. He was older than me, by a little, but, well he was like my little brother. I was the one who looked after him.
CLAUDETTE: Did you get adopted?
LILLY: No. I was sold to a house in town. The man who ran the orphanage wanted to make a little extra money and… well, I was pretty…
CLAUDETTE: I don’t understand. Were you a slave?
LILLY: Yeah, sort of. But I don’t want to talk about that either, okay?
CLAUDETTE: Okay.
LILLY: Anyway, Mort never stopped looking for me.
CLAUDETTE: Are you hiding from him?
LILLY: Sort of. He thinks he found me, only it wasn’t me, and I’ve let him go on thinking that. I was called Jesse, back then.
CLAUDETTE: I don’t understand.
LILLY: It’s complicated, honey. The place I lived… the house I was in… there were other girls there. I had a friend named Lilly. We looked a little bit similar.
CLAUDETTE: Like twins.
LILLY: Or sisters. One day I got in trouble and she took the blame. The people who ran the house beat her. They beat her real bad. So bad that she went to sleep and never woke up.
CLAUDETTE: Didn’t they take her to the hospital?
LILLY: No. They didn’t. She was more use to them unconscious. (BEAT) Some of their “customers” liked girls who didn’t move around.
CLAUDETTE: I don’t under…
LILLY: Years later we were rescued from that place, and Mort had a lot to do with it. He was a policeman then. But it didn’t stick.
CLAUDETTE: Did he arrest the bad guys?
LILLY: He wanted to. I wanted him to. But he couldn’t. Some important people were customers at that house. Other important people were protecting them. He stopped being a cop after that.
CLAUDETTE: So, why can’t we see Mort? He seems nice.
LILLY: He was, sort of. He’s changed a lot. But he was so desperate to help the little girl he’d known at the orphanage, and I owed Lilly so much… I swapped identities with her.
CLAUDETTE: What?
LILLY: You have to understand. No-one was going to help Lilly. Life’s hard and you can’t trust people. The only people who are safe are the ones with power and money, and she had neither.
CLAUDETTE: So the bad people won?
LILLY: Yeah. But Mort… He wanted to help. When he discovered her name was Jesse, and when all the other details fit, he got her into a hospital where she’s cared for properly. He pays her bills, and so do I… when we’ve got any money to spare. But he doesn’t know she isn’t me. (BEAT) Now do you see?
CLAUDETTE: Why didn’t you tell him the truth?
LILLY: At first, it was just a way to help Lilly. But then the court case fell apart and… Mort was a cop.
CLAUDETTE: Didn’t you trust him?
LILLY: No, I… I had something to do. Something Mort wouldn’t understand.
CLAUDETTE: What did you…?
LILLY: It doesn’t matter… (FIERCLY) But the man who ran that house got justice in the end… (THEN WITH UNCERTAINTY) in the end.
CLAUDETTE: But, if it’s over now… Don’t you know where Mort is?
LILLY: (SIGHS) Sure, I’ve kept track. He’s a small-time hustler now. He cons people with some fortune teller routine. Like I said, he’s changed, even if he does look after my friend.
CLAUDETTE: I’m sorry, but he has to help us. We’ve got to go see him. And he’s the only one who can. I’ve seen it.
LILLY: Like you saw that Mr. Cordova would be sending someone to get you.
CLAUDETTE: Yes.
LILLY: (COUGHING) Oh, this isn’t happening. (BEAT) We could run. We could leave town.
CLAUDETTE: Do you think Mr. Cordova would let us go?
LILLY: (DEFEATED) No. He’ll have men at the train stations, docks, and the airport, before we can get away. We can’t go back to our apartment either.
CLAUDETTE: Then what will we do?
LILLY: I’m gonna make Cordova pay. No-one is ever going to get the best of me – not ever again. Only… Cordova will keep sending men until he finds us, won’t he?. (BEAT) (DEFEATED) Okay, we’re gonna go see Mort.
MUSIC: SCENE ENDER – LET IT FINISH.
NARRATOR: Why does Mort insist on working as a fortune teller? What mysterious agenda is the double-crossing Madam Sofia pursuing? Can Lilly protect her daughter from Cordova’s goons and get the help she needs from Mort? Tune in to episode two and find out.
MUSIC: CLOSING THEME AND CREDITS

###

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

He is extremely grateful for the encouragement he receives from his biggest fans — his wife and two boys — all of whom read and enjoy his scripts and, in general, make his life worth living.

You can contact the author regarding performance rights (or simply to say hello) through his website: https://www.weirdworldstudios.com.

THE END

###

Don’t forget to check out the free sample portions of our titles at https://weirdworldstudios.com/product-category/our-products/.

The post Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 1 – No Good Deed appeared first on Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama.

Mort Flintwich Archives - Host Your Own Old Time Radio Drama

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 5 – Wrack and Ruin

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #5 – Wrack and Ruin

Episode 5: Wrack and Ruin

Wrack and Ruin

CAST LIST

SCENE 31: INT – CAESAR CORDOVA’S HEADQUARTERS – EVENING(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, MORT, JAKE, SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, THUGS)

ACT 3

SCENE 32: INT- CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – ALMOST MIDNIGHT(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, MORT, JAKE, SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, OUTWORLDER GANGSTERS)

SCENE 33: INT – KITCHEN OF THE SAFE HOUSE – PRE-DAWN(MORT, SOFIA, LILLY, AND CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 34: INT – KITCHEN – MORNING(MORT, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 35: EXT – STREET – MORNING(MORT, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 36: EXT – A DIMENSION FAR FAR AWAY – SOME TIME(SCRAT, SCRUG)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 4 – The Center Won’t Hold

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #4 – The Center Won’t Hold

Episode 4: The Center Won’t Hold

The Center Won’t Hold

CAST LIST

SCENE 22: INT – CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – MIDNIGHT(CAESAR, OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING/ OUTWORLDER CAESAR, BRUNO)

SCENE 23: EXT – STREETS OF STAR CITY – PRE-DAWN(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE, JAKE)

SCENE 24: INT – WU CHENG’S HOUSE – MID MORNING(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE, WU)

SCENE 25: INT – WU CHENG’S HOUSE – LATER(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE, WU)

SCENE 26: INT – CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – MORNING(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, THUGS)

SCENE 27: INT – CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – MORNING(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, SOFIA, GANGSTER OUTWORLDER)

SCENE 28: EXT – STREET – MID-MORNING(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 29: INT – THE SAFE HOUSE – EARLY MORNING(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE)

SCENE 30: INT – THE SAFE HOUSE – LATE AFTERNOON(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 3 – Don’t Stare Too Long

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #3 – Don’t Stare Too Long

Episode 3: Don’t Stare Too Long

Don’t Stare Too Long

CAST LIST

SCENE 15: INT – BACK ALLEY – TWILIGHT(MORT, JAKE, JULIO)

SCENE 16: INT – SAFE HOUSE – NIGHT TIME(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE, JAKE)

SCENE 17: INT – SOFIA’S PLACE – NIGHT(SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, JULIO)

SCENE 18: INT – CAESAR’S HQ – NIGHT(CAESAR, GANGSTERS, OUTWORLDER-SPOKESBEING)

SCENE 19: INT – SAFE HOUSE – NIGHT(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE, JAKE)

SCENE 20: INT – THE SEWERS – NIGHT(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 21: INT – BOSCONE’S WAREHOUSE -MIDNIGHT(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 2 – Never Send to Know

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #2 – Never Send to Know

Episode 2: Never Send to Know

Never Send to Know

CAST LIST

SCENE 7: INT – MORT’S OFFICE – LATE MORNING(MORT, JAKE, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 8: EXT – STREET – LATE MORNING(LILLY, CLAUDETTE, WAITRESS, STRANGER #1, STRANGER #2)

SCENE 9: INT – MORT’S OFFICE – LATE MORNING(THUG #1, THUG #2, MORT, JAKE, MRS. HARGREAVES)

SCENE 10: INT – BATHROOM(MORT, JAKE)

SCENE 11: EXT – ALLEYWAY – MID-DAY(MORT, JAKE)

SCENE 12: (INT) HOSPITAL – EARLY AFTERNOON(NURSE, MORT, JAKE)

SCENE 13: (INT) MORT’S APARTMENT – MID AFTERNOON(MORT, JAKE)

ACT 2

SCENE 14: INT – THE SEWERS – AFTERNOON(MORT, JAKE, JENNY – THE GHOST)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War – Episode 1 – No Good Deed

Mort Flintwich and the Outworlder War

EPISODE #1 – No Good Deed

Episode 1: No Good Deed

No Good Deed

CAST LIST

ACT 1

SCENE 1 : EXT – STREET – MORNING(MORT, JAKE, GIRL, CHARITY COLLECTOR, STAN, JIMMY)

SCENE 2: INT – MOBSTER’S OFFICE – MORNING(CAESAR CORDOVA, MADAME SOFIA MALEFICENT, BRUNO)

SCENE 3: INT – GANG WAREHOUSE – MORNING(JULIO, SANCHO, BRUNO, VIGO)

SCENE 4: INT – DOCTOR’S OFFICE – MORNING(DOCTOR, LILLY MORELAND)

SCENE 5: INT – DOCTOR’S RECEPTION – MORNING(SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, RECEPTIONIST, DOCTOR, LILLY)

SCENE 6: EXT – ON THE STREET – MORNING(CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JULIO, SANCHO)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SCENE 31: INT – CAESAR CORDOVA’S HEADQUARTERS – EVENING
(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, MORT, JAKE, SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, THUGS)

SCENE 32: INT- CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – ALMOST MIDNIGHT
(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, MORT, JAKE, SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, OUTWORLDER GANGSTERS)

SCENE 33: INT – KITCHEN OF THE SAFE HOUSE – PRE-DAWN
(MORT, SOFIA, LILLY, AND CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 34: INT – KITCHEN – MORNING
(MORT, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 35: EXT – STREET – MORNING
(MORT, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 36: EXT – A DIMENSION FAR FAR AWAY – SOME TIME
(SCRAT, SCRUG)

SCENE 22: INT – CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – MIDNIGHT
(CAESAR, OUTWORLDER SPOKESBEING/ OUTWORLDER CAESAR, BRUNO)

SCENE 23: EXT – STREETS OF STAR CITY – PRE-DAWN
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE, JAKE)

SCENE 24: INT – WU CHENG’S HOUSE – MID MORNING
(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE, WU)

SCENE 25: INT – WU CHENG’S HOUSE – LATER
(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE, WU)

SCENE 26: INT – CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – MORNING
(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, THUGS)

SCENE 27: INT – CAESAR’S HEADQUARTERS – MORNING
(OUTWORLDER CAESAR, SOFIA, GANGSTER OUTWORLDER)

SCENE 28: EXT – STREET – MID-MORNING
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 29: INT – THE SAFE HOUSE – EARLY MORNING
(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE)

SCENE 30: INT – THE SAFE HOUSE – LATE AFTERNOON
(MORT, CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JAKE)

SCENE 15: INT – BACK ALLEY – TWILIGHT
(MORT, JAKE, JULIO)

SCENE 16: INT – SAFE HOUSE – NIGHT TIME
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE, JAKE)

SCENE 17: INT – SOFIA’S PLACE – NIGHT
(SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, JULIO)

SCENE 18: INT – CAESAR’S HQ – NIGHT
(CAESAR, GANGSTERS, OUTWORLDER-SPOKESBEING)

SCENE 19: INT – SAFE HOUSE – NIGHT
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE, JAKE)

SCENE 20: INT – THE SEWERS – NIGHT
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 21: INT – BOSCONE’S WAREHOUSE -MIDNIGHT
(MORT, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 7: INT – MORT’S OFFICE – LATE MORNING
(MORT, JAKE, LILLY, CLAUDETTE)

SCENE 8: EXT – STREET – LATE MORNING
(LILLY, CLAUDETTE, WAITRESS, STRANGER #1, STRANGER #2)

SCENE 9: INT – MORT’S OFFICE – LATE MORNING
(THUG #1, THUG #2, MORT, JAKE, MRS. HARGREAVES)

SCENE 10: INT – BATHROOM
(MORT, JAKE)

SCENE 11: EXT – ALLEYWAY – MID-DAY
(MORT, JAKE)

SCENE 12: (INT) HOSPITAL – EARLY AFTERNOON
(NURSE, MORT, JAKE)

SCENE 13: (INT) MORT’S APARTMENT – MID AFTERNOON
(MORT, JAKE)

SCENE 14: INT – THE SEWERS – AFTERNOON
(MORT, JAKE, JENNY – THE GHOST)

SCENE 1 : EXT – STREET – MORNING
(MORT, JAKE, GIRL, CHARITY COLLECTOR, STAN, JIMMY)

SCENE 2: INT – MOBSTER’S OFFICE – MORNING
(CAESAR CORDOVA, MADAME SOFIA MALEFICENT, BRUNO)

SCENE 3: INT – GANG WAREHOUSE – MORNING
(JULIO, SANCHO, BRUNO, VIGO)

SCENE 4: INT – DOCTOR’S OFFICE – MORNING
(DOCTOR, LILLY MORELAND)

SCENE 5: INT – DOCTOR’S RECEPTION – MORNING
(SOFIA, CLAUDETTE, RECEPTIONIST, DOCTOR, LILLY)

SCENE 6: EXT – ON THE STREET – MORNING
(CLAUDETTE, LILLY, JULIO, SANCHO)