The gist of the play We live. If life is short and inconsequential, who knows?. If it’s really good we go, maybe, to”heaven.” Otherwise it’s the second plane where we get two more chances
It’s a semi-idyllic place where we can reflect, wonder, and then recycle. Everyone gets along. There may be a bit of regret, and worry about the future. No one knows what happens next or when.
The Second Plane
A Play in three Acts
Time: Indeterminate future
Place: Nobody knows
Cast of Characters:
Andre – the new arrival
Sardon – the guide
Bayard – the village elder
Creon – a philosopher/cynic
Fria – a second timer
Peter – Andre’s father
Fr. Dan – A priest from Utica in Peter’s village
Mortran – An atheist from some other planet.
Saddam – The test case
Miriam –Andre’s former lover.
Dolora – Miriam’s guide
Prologue
Andre, driving along a stretch of mountainous road in West Virginia in the rain at night, and too fast as usual, loses control of his car. It crashes through a guard rail and down a steep cliff, impacting and burning at the bottom.
Scene one – A forested area near a lake.
Andre: (Lying beneath a tree, sits up tentatively, checking his arms and legs, and then gets to his feet) I must have been thrown clear. Christ, I can’t imagine I survived that without a scratch! Must have been out for a while, though – it’s light. Where’s the car?
(Enter Sardon)
Sardon: Welcome. I thought I sensed an arrival.
Andre: Hello! God, I’m glad to see someone. I had an accident last night. I don’t know where I am, so hopefully you can help. My name’s Andre.
Sardon: My name’s Sardon, and I don’t know where you are either, but I’m afraid it’s much farther away than you think.
Andre: What?
Sardon: You didn’t survive your accident without a scratch, Andre. You didn’t survive it at all.
Andre: You telling me I’m dead? Okay, I’m dreaming.
Sardon: That’s what everyone thinks at first. As for being dead, I suppose that’s a matter of definition. But you don’t have your body anymore – you just think you do.
Andre: (looks around, then grabs his biceps) I don’t see the mountain, or my car, but I’m not a ghost! I’m solid. I’m real!
Sardon: (shrugs) I feel the same way.
Andre: What are you, an angel? I’m sure I’m dreaming!
Sardon: Oh hell no1 I’m in the same boat you’re in – I’ve just been here longer.
Andre: You’re here. Were you just passing by? I need some answers.
Sardon: I suppose I was the nearest, so I got the call, and here I am. You’re my first, by the way, although lots of people have described it to me.
Andre: What do you mean, the call? What’s that?
Sardon: (Laughs) You might say it’s our mode of fast transportation, but in this case it always works the same. When someone new arrives, whoever is closest becomes aware of it and, by some mechanism, is there. As I told you, you’re my first. Think of me as your welcoming committee.
Andre: I’m still hoping you’re a nightmare. If you don’t know where we are, where are you from? I’m from Columbus.
Sardon: Never heard of it, and you wouldn’t know where I’m from either.
Andre: You never heard of Columbus? You’re obviously American and you seem intelligent.
Sardon: Taken in by the language were you? Let me tell you something about this place, Andre. We all think that everyone looks like us and speaks our language. Don’t ask me how it works – I’ve no idea. But we know it’s wrong. When we try to describe ourselves to each other, we’re sometimes appalled, so we don’t normally do that. I’ve met hundreds of people here, and so far no one from my own world except the ones I’ve called.. I wouldn’t know how to tell you where it is.
Andre: So is all this an illusion? (Stares around and rubs his forehead) What do you mean, the ones you’ve called?
Sardon: Lets go talk to Bayard. He’s the village elder, and a lot better than I am in explaining these things.. Come.
(Motions to Andre, and both exit)
Scene two: A clearing in front of a large, thatched structure. There are several people sitting at makeshift tables playing games or simply thinking.
Sardon: (Approaching a graybeard who seems half asleep) Bayard, I have a newcomer here who has lots of questions. This is Andre. He’s from Columbus.
Bayard: Questions? Naturally. Sit down Andre, not that it’s necessary. We never get tired. I thought I sensed an arrival.
Andre: I think I sense a madhouse – that or it’s a complex dream. I want to know where I am and what I’m supposed to do.
Bayard: So do we all. I’ve been working on it for a long time.
Andre: A long time? How long have you been here?
Bayard: Ah, Time! Have you looked at the sky?
Andre: (looks up) Nice clear day.
Bayard: Anything missing?
Andre: (looks up again) I don’t see the sun.
Bayard: There is no sun. It clouds up once in a while and we get a light rain. Other than that it never changes. No days. No nights. Measuring time is a bit of a challenge, but it is our one technology. We have clocks and calendars, for what they’re worth. I’ve been here for about two super intervals. I’m sure that means nothing to you.
Andre: Of course not, but maybe I can figure it out. It’d be great to figure something out here. Give me a slight grip on my sanity. Tell me how long I’ve been here and what your units are.
Bayard: You’ve been here about three steps. A hundred steps is an interval. A hundred intervals is a major interval. A hundred major intervals is a super interval.
(Andre glances about, spots a bare area and, picking up a twig, kneels down and begins to calculate.)
Andre: (Rising triumphantly) I think I’ve been here about a half an hour so I guess a step’s about ten minutes. If so, you’ve been here about forty years – a bit more than my age. That’s a long time.
Bayard: (shrugs) I’ve met people who have been here longer – mostly repeats. I’m still a first timer, and some first timers leave almost immediately. Tough to figure out.
Andre: What do you mean, repeat?
Bayard: You’re here and then you’re gone. Sometimes you come back and sometimes you don’t. Pretty sure you always come back to the same place, though. I’ve never met a second timer who started out in a different spot here, although maybe they just don’t remember. Don’t know what that means, because none of us have anything in common when we get here.
Andre: How many times do people come back?
Bayard: Never met anyone who did it more than once.
Andre: Guess you don't try to quantify them either, huh? You know – sex, race, age, origin.
Bayard: Maybe someone has, but no one here. We don't communicate much among villages. It's mostly one on one except when we call or get called, but those visits are rather brief. Guess the calendar is the great exception.
Andre: What’s this “calling” stuff?
Bayard: You’ll do it. We all do. You’ll want to know if someone else is here. Someone who’s died that you know. You’ll start to think about them – to imagine them – and sooner or later one of them will appear. Or maybe you’ll suddenly find yourself somewhere else, with someone you remember who was thinking of you. God knows how it works, but that’s the way we get around. Doesn’t last, though. After a few intervals, sometimes maybe ten or so, they’re gone or you’re back.
Andre: (Sitting down and staring around at the other people sitting in the clearing) Isn’t there anyone in charge? What am I suppose to do? Is this heaven or hell or purgatory or what? I need a drink!
Bayard: (Laughing) I guess you can have a drink. You can have a lot of things, although they may not have a big effect. Just wish for one and look around. Can’t help you with the other stuff, though. No one’s in charge – at least no one we ever see.
Andre: ( looks down and sees a cocktail glass on the table. He takes a tentative taste.) Scotch! Seems closer to heaven than to the other two, but I’m still probably dreaming. What’s the going away and coming back all about?
Bayard: Fria can probably help you there. (gestures toward stern looking lady who had wandered over) Fria’s a second timer with a little memory. This is Andre, Fria. He wants to know what going back is like.
Fria: Back? I went somewhere from here, Andre, but it wasn’t “back”. It was new. You probably remember your life pretty well. So do I – my latest one- but the one before is rather vague and tough to recall although I work at it. From what I can recall, it wasn’t even the same planet, but somewhat similar. Maybe they all are. It certainly never occurred to me that I’d lived before until I got back here and recognized people, and was recognized, and started to compare stories.
Andre: Stories?
Fria: You know. We talk. You tell people about your life – your family. And then one day I find myself here, completely confused like you probably are, and suddenly I start to recognize a few people and they recognize me, but now the stories are different. Think I might have been a bit wild and irreverent the first time. Guess I overcompensated and came back as a sanctimonious bitch.
Bayard: It’s a typical story, Andre. You’ll hear a couple more. There are thirty of us here. One just left, in fact, and since our numbers seem to stay rather constant, I suspect she won’t be back and you’re the replacement.
Andre: So there is someone in charge. I like the drinks – the glass stays full. Right now I think I’ll close my eyes and see if I can make you all go away. If that doesn’t work, I’ll think of my dead girl friend and see if she comes here. If that doesn’t work either, than maybe you’ll show me around.
Bayard. No rush, Andre. I think we have lots of time.
Bayard: This is your geography lesson, Andre. That’s an old map. None of us knows who made it, but I suppose you could say this is our known universe. We’ve all walked to some or all of the villages, and I, for one, have plunged on into the forests. Eventually you decide you’re lost, and the next thing you know you’re back “home”. Most of us have visited, or gotten visitors from “calls” and we have no idea how far away they are so, to answer your question, we have no idea how big this place is. It may go on forever.
Andre: It’s certainly not like anything I ever imagined. I’m probably still dreaming. I used to oscillate between believing in the hereafter and not believing in anything. Thought I’d either never wake up, or else be greeted by someone I knew or, maybe, some heavenly judge.
Bayard: Well, we have Creon here. I coaxed him out of his cave. He’s actually been here a little longer than I have. Maybe he’ll straighten you out.
A distinctly tall black man, wearing a quizzical smile and carrying a drink, approaches from the near table
Creon: Welcome Andre.. Now tell me – am I black?
Andre: (looking confused) Well of course. Why do you ask.
Creon: Why? Because none of us know what we look like here – it’s all in the eyes of the beholder, like everything else in this place. I won’t try to describe what you look like. I tried that a long time ago and it was a disaster.
Andre: A disaster? Why?
Creon: I told her what she looked like. I thought she was beautiful. She thought I’d described a freak. I suppose we see the inner person as they’d look in our world. For some reason, though, everyone sees me as black whether it’s normal to them or not. It puzzles me.
Andre: Everything here puzzles me. What is your theory? What am I in for, if I’m really still alive and not dreaming? A judgment?
Creon: Maybe I’ll figure it out after I get sent back and if I return - , if I ever do. Of course the ones who have don’t seem to come back any wiser. My theory, if life is a test which some seem to believe – in my world no one was ever sure – is that you apparently get three chances. Succeed the first time and you go somewhere else. I suppose that’s your heaven or Nirvana or whatever. Succeed the second time and it’s the same result. Ditto for the third chance, but the else is probably different if it’s also a flop.
Andre: Have you had “calls”. Have people contacted you.
Creon: Of course. Most of us do. I ignore a lot of them anymore – you don’t have to respond if you don’t want to.
Andre: How do you know and what do you do?
Creon: Usually starts like a persistent dream of someone you knew. Not always – sometimes it may be a secret admirer or something like that, but that’s rare. Anyway, you just let yourself go, or blank it out if you don’t want to go. May take a few tries, but you’ll catch on.
Andre: Then what happens?
Creon: Then you’ll be there, wherever there is.
Bayard: Kinda weird the first couple times, but it’s real. I was in a group once and someone seemed to be drifting off, like she was in a trance, and then she just disappeared. Came back a few intervals later, but she was gone so it’s not a dream.
Andre: So if I want to contact my girlfriend or mother or father, what do I do? I tried it earlier, but nothing happened.
Bayard: Just keep thinking about them. Concentrate on them. Talk to them. Keep at it, and if they’re here, and want to see you, they’ll simply show up. Sometimes it takes a while.
Scene 4 - The clearing Andre Is sitting at the table in the clearing, sipping a drink. A rakish, gray haired man stands at the edge.
Peter (Coughing): You’re here. Time’s a bit of a problem for us, but I didn’t expect you so soon.
Andre (jumping up}: Dad! My God, it works! I guess you’ve gone through this same thing. (runs up and embraces his father)
Peter: Maybe a little different. I realized pretty quickly that this wasn’t my first time. I gather it’s yours, and I guess I’m your first contact. I’ve had a bunch – I’m sure you remember uncle Jack. Never managed to get your mother though.
Andre: Not your first time! You had a previous life?
Peter: Yeah, I know. It used to be a family joke. I guess I wasn’t very polished and your uncle Jack said this was my first pass through, but it wasn’t. Vague memories though. I know I had a family- wife and two daughters – but one of my old friends from here had to help me remember them. You’re crystal clear. How did it end?
Andre: Over a cliff apparently. Guess I was a reckless driver. Took me a while to accept it. I tried Miriam and Mom first, too, but no result. Help me out, Dad, you’ve been here about eight years – you must know something.
Peter: Well, I know I’m still lucky. Apparently it’s a long shot to get here and encounter someone from even your own galaxy. We got a recent addition who’s practically a neighbor. Actually he’s from Utica, and I’ve never been there, but at least I know where it is.
Andre: Friendly? I’d like to meet him. I’ve worked in Utica.
Peter: Everyone here is friendly, even to reprobates like me who are back for a last try. At least that’s what I’ve been told. He’s a priest. I’ll have you over when I get back.
Andre (laughing): A priest! Must be your first encounter, Dad.
Peter: Hey, I got married by one, went to your first communion, and caught a few weddings and funerals. I just figured your mother went enough for both of us. Maybe Father Dan was detoured here to help me out. I gather I better do better the next time.
Andre: Maybe. Let’s go meet the others, and I’ll introduce you. You’ll like Bayard. He promised to explain clocks and calendars to me, or do you know all about them?
Peter:.We have them. I just use them. Never been much of a technology nut except for building.
Scene 5 (The lodge- Bayard, Peter and Andre )
Bayard: I’m always interested in meeting a second timer, Peter. Curious about where we go from here. We’ve had a few during my time, maybe more than I know of since they don’t seem to remember much, if anything.
Peter: I don’t remember much either. There were a couple acquaintances in the town I landed in who remembered me. They’re the ones who told me I had a wife and two daughters. I’ve tried, but the visions are blurry. My brother, Jack, says I was probably hanged as a horse thief, which is why I’ve never liked ties.
Bayard: What’s a horse thief and a tie?
Peter: It was just a joke. A horse was an animal we used to ride, a long time ago, to get around. A tie was a cultural aggravation we wore around our necks. Guess you came from a different kind of world. :
Bayard: Guess I did. We walked or flew. But can’t you remember any flaws? Any reasons you’d have to come here, assuming there’s any reason behind it?
Peter: I can remember plenty from the last time, but before that I just don’t know. Maybe I did steal a horse. Apparently didn’t learn my lesson, whatever it was.
Andre: How do you tell time, Bayard? My first job was with a clock fanatic. Had an immense collection, and I used to drive him crazy because I was never on time. I don’t see any clocks.
Bayard: We have one. It’s in the back. Pretty simple – weights and a pendulum. God knows who came up with it or when, but every village I’ve been to has a few. Have to keep winding it up, but we don’t have much to do here so it’s no problem. We have gravity. That makes it work. The gravity’s probably different for everyone, since we all manage to walk just like at home, but there’s no way to check our units so it works for everyone.
Andre: :And that’s the basis for your calendar. How long has this place been around?
Bayard: The clock and the calendar are all one contraption. . Don’t know how everybody does it, but our calendar resets every ten super intervals, which is a lot longer than anyone’s time here, even second timers. We don’t make history here, Andre. We just wait For all I know, this place has been around forever.
Peter: I think ours is pretty much the same. Dan sort of took it over after he arrived. Had some grand plan for making it perpetual – maybe he thought he’d been promoted to Pope. Anyway, ithe plan fizzled, but he winds up the clock.
Act 2 Peter’s House
Scene 1 A grotto with a cross, a totem pole, and a crude clay statue of a Buddha. Andre and Peter are sitting at a table, and a priest and companion are approaching.
Peter: Here they come, - Dan and his odd side kick, Mortran. This is my son, the reckless driver, Dan.
Andre (Getting up): Hello, Dan, or is it Father Dan? This all must have been a hell of a shock to you, finding out you were wrong.
Dan: Wrong? If I’d been wrong I wouldn’t know it because I wouldn’t exist, but it appears that I do. Guess I wasn’t holy enough to avoid these preliminaries that we didn’t learn about, but I always suspected there’d be a few surprises.
The one who’s wrong is my friend, Mortran, here. We have no clue where he’s from, but a similar batch of religions. He thinks they’re all baloney, so he insists he’s simply dreaming. Long dream, though. He got here right after I did.
Mortran: It does seem long, but time is tricky here. And who knows how fast a dream can run? A life can flash by in an instant.. I find it amusing that I’m discussing these things with figments of my imagination. I was pretty sick, so I suspect I’m on my final dream. Takes a while for a complex thing like a brain to shut down. If you were real, though, I’m sure you’d admit that this place has no obvious purpose and defies any logic, just like all the religions I’ve encountered.
Dan: Maybe the purpose is to demonstrate that there is a purpose.
Mortran: Bah!
Dan: You see what I have to put up with, Andre? Mort, here, doesn’t believe I exist and your dad won’t take any advice. He’s looking at a third strike, and Mort’s a confirmed atheist who’s waiting for oblivion.
Mortran: Logical, Dan, not “confirmed” We all know we were planted, we bloom in the spring and we die in the winter. The evidence says we’re annuals, but maybe we’re perennials with a gardener who transplants us at the end of the season. Seems far fetched to me.
Peter: I’m not ignoring your advice, either, Dan. If I remember it on my next trip back I may enter a monastery and come out a saint. Only problem is I don’t think we do remember. I guess I played around a little last time, but all in all I think I was a decent husband and dad. Just not very religious. Take Buddha, there. Not that I studied him, but someone told me he believed we just keep doing this ‘til we get it right.
Andre: You were a good guy, Dad. Always suspected you played around a little, but you kept it discrete.
Mortran: Never realized I had such a great imagination. Who’s Buddha, other than that fat statue? Of course, since I’ve dreamed it all up, I suppose it’s logical to expand on it.
Dan: You’ve got a great imagination, Mort. Second only to your stubbornness. So tell me, Andre, what have you figured out since you got here?
Andre: I haven’t figured anything out, except that this calling business doesn’t always work. I keep thinking of my girlfriend. I loved her, but she wasn’t a saint. I thought she’d be here, if this is where everyone else comes.
Peter: You said it had been about a year since she died. Maybe she’s come and gone. I figure I’ve been here about ten years, but some seem to leave in a month or so. No rhyme or reason to it, but then I’m not in charge.
Andre: It’s been eight years for you, Dad. Maybe you’re right, but I’ll keep trying.
Peter: Of course. I’ve managed to contact a few pals, and even a couple old girl friends. Maybe I’m supposed to be here repenting, but no one’s told me that – no one except Dan, here.
Dan: Ought to be obvious. Think you’re just here to catch your breath before the next leg of your journey? You’ve even had a trip back to hammer home the point. But what do I know?
Mortan: (shaking his head) How do I dream this stuff up? Even if there were an afterlife, I’d feel no need to repent. I’ve spent my life as a mathematician, and a damn good one.
Dan: Ever hear of pride? I wonder if really evil people come here – Caligula, for example.
Peter: I actually thought of that, too, while I was working on Buddha. Have to be someone recent, though, not some old Roman. No one stays around that long. I’ve been tr4ying to contact Saddam Hussein, but he hasn’t shown up.
Andre: I think it’s time for a drink.
Scene 2 ( Peter is tinkering around with his statue of Buddha)
Saddam: (entering) I don’t think we’ve met, but you’ve been trying to reach me. I’m Saddam Hussein.
Peter: Well I’ll be damned!
Saddam: Me too, probably, but I think I get another chance. Think I’ve already used up my first and second. Don’t remember much about the first but, Allah be praised, I’m sure I wasn’t a Jew. Who are you, and how about adding a Crescent to your collection?
Peter: I may do that. Might have to add a Menorah, too. My son’s lover was a Jewess.
Saddam: I’ve heard they’re good in bed. Why did you want to reach me?
Peter: Quite frankly, and no offense, but my friend Dan and I were wondering if truly bad people came here. You had a pretty bad rep, and you met your end shortly before I did. We wondered if you were here.
Saddam: Bad rep, huh? My clan and my family loved me, except that my two worthless sons rarely visit. Uday’s probably off chasing women. I suppose I came off as a bit harsh, but that’s how you survive in the Middle East. Fail to kill your enemies and they’ll kill you.
Peter: You seem pleasant enough, for a guy who went from a raft of palaces to a noose, but according to our press “harsh” is a little mild.
Saddam: Your press? Distortions! The Shiites tried me, and you’ll remember they hanged me pretty fast before I could get out much of my side. Allah may be pissed at my drinking – I wasn’t the best Muslim – but I wasn’t the worst.
Peter: Anyone know who you were where you are now?
Saddam: Not when I got there. I didn’t know who to expect, but I thought they’d know me. I think it was a relief and a let down. I don’t know where I am, and no one knows anyone, but no one’s looking for a leader.
Peter: Well thanks for coming. I’ll invite you back when Dan is here. He’s a priest.
Saddam: I may come back, now that I know you’re not a Jew or a victim. I don’t have a problem with a priest. I had a Christian in my cabinet. I hope you’ll have a Crescent by then. I don’t even care if you add a Menorah - just make the Crescent bigger.
Scene 3 Back at the village
Sardon: You’re back. Where’d you go?
Andre: My dad’s. Almost recognized the place. Ornate table, bunch of statues, flowers – just like a picnic area we used to have. I think he likes this place. Never spent much time worrying about the future, and he’s got a couple friends to argue with.
Sardon: What was your world like, Andre? I know we don’t see the same things, but you didn’t seem surprised when you got here. I noticed right away that there wasn’t a sun. It dominated everything jn my world, and our scientists and holy men were constantly speculating about how much time we had left before the damn thing exploded
Andre: . Sounds like a scary place. We had our doomsayers too, but the sun wasn’t a threat. A few problems with nature, but mostly it’s been people. Wars, crime, slavery. I was lucky, but most weren’t. Some contend we have too many people, and others blame a devil. All in all it was a pretty place, though. Most of us thought it was the only place, with a few pretty stars.
Sardon: If anything, we were too few, but we had the same problems. Maybe the same devil. Maybe all the worlds are the same.
Andre: From what I’ve noticed, the beauty of this place is that everyone gets along. We have no needs, so why am I not happy – because I’m not.
Sardon: It’s because we all sense this is an interlude. It isn’t home, We don’t even know if we have one.
Act 3 – Miriam
Scene 1 A meadow with a lovely girl standing beneath an elm tree. Andre enters.
Andre: (rushing up to embrace her) Miriam! I’ve tried to reach you ever since I got here, wherever here is, and learned how.
Miriam: I know.
Andre: But you never came.
Miriam: I was confused. I looked terrible when I died. I haven’t answered any calls, and I’ve no idea what I look like now. Anyway, I thought it would be better if you came to me, so I finally tried that.
Andre: I wished for a drink when I got here, and one appeared. You should have wished for a mirror, because you’re as beautiful as you ever were. Who else has tried to reach you?
Miriam: My mom and my dad. Just checking, I suppose. They couldn’t know that I died. I was still fine when they left. I was so grateful that you stayed with me. What happened to you?
Andre: Stupidity. Well, maybe not. I’ve been terribly lonely since you left, and now that I’ve found you I’m glad I’m here. Doesn’t sound like you’ve found a boyfriend.
Miriam: I found Delora, or rather she found me. She said she happened to be the closest. I’m glad she was. I’ve been with her ever since. She has a cottage in the village. (Gestures toward the trees) Not there now. She gets many calls, and always goes.
Andre: You don’t know where she’s from?
Miriam: Except for calls, no one seems to know where anyone’s from. I never gave any thought to other worlds – well maybe when watching Star Trek – but I know you did. Did you imagine anything like this?
Andre I imagined other worlds, but after reading Dante I decided to skip imagining after-worlds, if they exist.
Miriam: Apparently they do.
Andre: That or dreams.
Miriam: Do you think you’re imagining me?
Andre: Well, I’ve had almost a year of practice doing that. This is far and away the best. I’d like to see your cottage.
Miriam: What do you want to do?
Andre: I want to pretend we’re real.
(they walk together into the woods)
Scene 2 Dolora’s cottage
Dolora: Anybody home?
Miriam: (emerging, slightly disheveled, with Andre from the back room) Dolora! This is Andre. I finally called him.
Dolora: I see he came.
Andre: (smiling) I came! Miriam told me all about you, even that you knew about other worlds before you got here. Everyone I’ve met is from somewhere else, but most of them weren’t sure, before, that there was a somewhere else.
Dolora: I know of three. My great great grandfather was part of a team that detected and decoded the first message. It kept coming periodically, so I suppose they were sending it everywhere. It mentioned two other civilizations, but we’re not sure where.
Andre: What did it say?
Dolora: It introduced their math, their language, descriptions, and some star maps. That’s how we figured out where they were.
Andre: And you replied?
Dolora: Of course – three generations ago. We calculated our reply is about a quarter of the way back to them. Our astronomers tell us we’re a rather small galaxy, but small is huge. We’re a long way from being pen pals.
Miriam: You’ve tapped into one of Andre’s passions. Where were you?
Dolora: Fortuitously gone, I gather. Just visiting a lonely friend from home. That seems to be my role.
Andre: You sound like a saint. Why do you think you got marooned here?
Dolora: Oh, I’m anything but a saint. Wasn’t even much of a believer, and I can occasionally be a shrew. I just happen to like being with people. I’d make a terrible hermit.
Scene 3: Back at the village
Sardon: You look happy. Back at your Dad’s again?
Andre: Much better. Mariam called me.
Sardon: Ah, love! If only there were permanence.
Andre: I’ve thought about that, but no one’s ever had it anywhere else either. Maybe there is no permanence. .I was euphoric for a while, but now I’ll probably worry about the ending. Whom it will come for, and when.
Sardon: Live for the moment, Andre. It’s all we can do.
Scene 4 ‘Finale Back at the grotto. The statues and carvings are gone.
Andre: This can’t be good.
Dan: (entering) You came. I’ve never actually tried calling anyone before.
Andre: Where’s my dad, and what happened to his statues?
Dan: Gone, I guess, to wherever we go. Personal stuff seems to disappear with you when your time is up. I came over to see him, and this is what I found, so I tried calling you. I wanted to tell him that Mort was gone. I was sure it was the end of this trip for Mort. He’d never have responded to some simple call. Didn’t believe in them.
Andre: (sitting down and wiping his eye) I was going to tell him I found Miriam. Wonder if I’ll ever see him again. You seem to think he won’t come back, although I’m not sure where you think he’ll go.
Dan: I’m not really sure of any more than you are, Andre. I just put on a brave front, like we clerics are trained to do. All I know is that I just lost my two best friends. I’m feeling a bit lonely. When I got here your dad took me under his wing. He’s the one who greeted me. Then Mort showed up, and when he wasn’t insisting that we didn’t exist, he was a funny guy that you couldn’t help liking. Now they’re both gone. I suppose I should have made some calls, or responded to a few. Maybe Mort was right and it’s only a dream. Of course that would make it my dream wouldn’t it?
Andre: Or mine. Whichever one of us is real.
Dan: I think we should have a drink.
Andre: That may be the best idea you’ve ever had..
(Curtain)