Misha Williams



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 64 
me a couple of days…. Now? Straight away?….Alright. 
Yes, I'll email it.  
 
ALBERT gives JESS a disgusted look. 
 
ALBERT 
Oh, right. There's more? The city? The stone city. Yes… 
Atlanteans? They should meet Atlanteans, you think? 
Oh, that's trendy again over there, now is it? Well…Oh, 
fight with Atlanteans!!…Special effects. Of course. 
Well…Oh, Ida. I..I..really think the whole thing could 
become ludicrous. Well…OK, here she is… 
 
He hands phone to JESS. 
 
JESS 
Yes, sweetie. I'm here. Is he being stubborn? Well, I 
know. (Looking straight at ALBERT as she is speaking 
to IDA) Stubborn directors don't make it in Hollywood. 
It becomes a graveyard for them as they stay 
unemployed and drink themselves to death. Of course. 
(Jokingly) Albert be warned! Of course he'll do the re-
writes, Hon. Here he is. 
 
ALBERT 
Hello. So you really want Jack as the main character? 
Well, he's nothing like as interesting as...But it was 
meant to be about the father. Fawcett. The script was 
about the explorer, Fawcett the Mystic. Oh God. No, 
I'm not happy about Atlantian special effect battles? 
What's that got to do… 
 
JESS 
For Christ's sake, Al ! Just do it! 
 
ALBERT 
(To both IDA on the phone and to JESS) NO!!! I'm not 
bloody doing that! No! I am not throwing a great story 
down the plug hole! Why on earth do you need my 
script, then? Get your special effects man to write it. 
You want a moronic… 
 
JESS 
Oh, Al, I just don't believe this. 


 65 
 
ALBERT 
You want a moronic story. OK. Forget about employing 
me!    
 
JESS 
You….bloody….fool!! You have fucked it up. 
 
She takes the phone from him. 
 
JESS 
I can't tell you how sorry I am about his attitude. Well 
Ida, that's just him. Self-destructive…I know. Look, I'll 
come over any way… You've got another writer in 
mind? Oh great. No…He deserves it. No one is 
indispensable in our business. I can't wait to see you 
sweetheart . We'll sort it all out. Lot's of love. 
 
She turns to ALBERT. 
 
JESS 
Well….No one could have made a better job of that 
than you. (Laughing) How can you destroy a chance of 
a life time in seconds? Of idiocy? What is the matter 
with you? You are very sad.  We're finished now. Really 
finished. I'm going to pack my things. I've done 
everything I can for you… 
 
ALBERT 
Yeah, I know… I know….Jess, I'm sorry. I'm not 
surprised. You've had enough then. You're going. 
Fawcett's going. Life's going. I've ruined it. On every 
level. I'm finished. Washed up. Years of struggle in this 
business and nothing to show for it. Well, hardly 
nothing. I had one chance… But,  I just can't… 
 
JESS 
Compromise. 
 
ALBERT 
             Not that much! If it had been anything else… 
 
 
 


 66 
JESS 
…But Fawcett.  Oh well. I'ts your life now. You just get 
on with destroying it then and I'll… 
 
ALBERT 
Jet off to Hollywood and join you dyke friend.  
 
JESS 
I think any dyke, as you put it, that I know, has far 
more ability of making some ,,      thing of life than 
you, Al. Involvement with you has been a sad waste of 
my life. So I'm not doing it another moment longer. I 
can't wait to catch that plane for L.A. 
 
She goes. 
 
 
SCENE TWO.  BRIAN'S BUNGALOW. CARLISLE. 
 
As he speaks to the audience, he changes from corduroys and pullover 
into khaki.  
 
BRIAN 
'Wasn't feeling good yesterday. Bellyache. The 
cucumber that Ruth ruined by putting in the deep 
freeze, paralysed my normal bodily functions. So I took 
a dose of castor oil…..the effect of which was to turn 
me inside out. Also. We are with mouse again. A very 
bold little animal. I've seen him! But he is elusive. I've 
been wondering whether in a confrontation I would 
prove deficient in physical courage. I know my moral 
courage is alright. But I haven't really had a test of 
physical courage. The test will only come once. And if it 
does I must meet it successfully. Daddy had it and 
though scared stiff went through it well. 
 
I'll have to travel in a tiny single engine plane over 
endless jungle. I'm thrilled. The job must be done. I 
believe my fate is to do it. And that things have worked 
out to enable me to do it. All the same, the risk 
involved is not pleasant to think about. Flying over 
unexplored country, and a drop of water in the 
carburettor of that tiny aircraft engine will bring us 
down into the forest. If one survives the impact one is 
faced with a truly horrible fate - so horrible that                                    


 67 
annihilation in the crash is doubtless to be preferred! 
My "Higher Self" drives however, and I have to face a 
little of what Daddy often faced - scared though he was 
- and dominated. I am less frightened for myself than 
for Ruth, for the bereavement would be a terrible blow 
for her - and I hate to think of her unprotected and 
helpless. Nevertheless, my remarkably accurate 
horoscope says nothing of a premature end in these 
circumstances. So I set forth with no other companion 
but my determination.                                   
 
 "M" enters with a suitcase. She stops and opens her make-up mirror to 
adjust her mascara
 
BRIAN 
Oh, are you coming?  D'you need a ticket? Oh, no, 
you'll be travelling by teleportation. I'll see you later 
then. 
 
Music. Plane noise. Nina enters in a much younger version of herself. 
 
NINA 
Brian. I'm so pleased with you. You're going to be 
successful for once.  
 
BRIAN 
You're not coming as well, Mother, are you?  
 
NINA 
Just in spirit, dear. I was laughing to myself earlier 
about that Royal Geographical Society lecture that 
time. Do you remember?  When that stuffy Savage 
Landor was so insulting about your father's work… 
 
BRIAN 
Oh, yes, yes, yes. Sir Henry Savage Landor. He was 
like a puffed up pigeon. (Imitating Savage Landor) " 
"Oh, Ladies and Gentlemen. The Mato Grosso!! I've 
just got back from there. Lovely little place. Perfect for 
tea planting!" 
 
 
 
 


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