Roman Youth

I didn't actually get into John's visions in the first week, nor did I do much to explore the characters of either John the Revelator or his friend the eagle Celeste. I had thought that would be the central relationship, and ultimately I suppose it will be. But I started with the two Roman kids, Benedict and Beatriz, and as I wrote, their characters really took off. Dialog is the essence of drama, and for me it is often how my characters take on a life of their own, sometimes even taking the plot in directions I had not originally intended. In this case, we have two bored kids, stuck on this island where they don't even have any trees to climb, because their Dad is stationed here and their mother has died. That last fact is an instance of something I hadn't thought through earlier, and it may give me trouble as things progress, as they speculate about pagan Mom in the afterlife. In fact, the whole piece took on a layer of apologetics I hadn't intended, with John being the only true believer in a cast of pagans. We'll see where that goes. At any rate, since I'll be out of town the next week, and most likely unable to blog further, I decided to post the entire script for your reading pleasure. Comments are most welcome!

VISIONS OF PATMOS
Week 8

[BENEDICT and BEATRIZ enter with bows and arrows.]

ARMOND [offstage]: Benedict! Beatriz! Don’t go too far down the beach!

BENEDICT: We WON’T!

ARMOND [offstage]: And stay where I can see you!

BEATRIZ: We WILL! [to BENE] What a WORRIER!

BENE: I KNOW! We’re stuck on an ISLAND! It’s not like we could WANDER OFF far or get LOST!

BEAT: Or be attacked by WILD ANNIMALS!

BENE: Or get CAPTURED by Vandals or Goths!

BEAT: Maybe PIRATES?

BENE: We’re ROMAN CITIZENS! What pirate has the NERVE to attack us?

BEAT: Probably he’s worried about the prisoners.

BENE: Are you KIDDING? We work these guys to DEATH in the mines! You think any of them has the ENERGY to attack us?

BEAT: Well, Papa’s always saying we should stay away from them and not talk to them.

BENE: That’s because they’re BENEATH us! We shouldn’t STOOP so low as to consider them!

BEAT: What EVER! Let’s shoot! What should we use as a target?

BENE: How about that pile of driftwood down there?

BEAT: WAY down there?

BENE: Yeah! What’s the matter? Can’t you shoot that far?

BEAT: I can shoot farther than YOU!

BENE: No you can’t!

BEAT: Yes I CAN!

BENE: Prove it! Shoot the farthest you can!

BEAT: You shoot first and I’ll shoot farther!

BENE: Ok! [shoots] THERE! Beat THAT!

BEAT: Just watch me! [shoots. BENE is stunned.] THERE! How’s THAT!

BENE: That was AMAZING!

BEAT: Just call me Diana the HUNTRESS!

BENE: You better watch your language!

BEAT: Why? Who’s to say that our mother wasn’t a GODDESS?

BENE: Dad never said that. He just said she was LIKE a goddess.

BEAT: And now she’s gone, maybe she IS one!

BENE: You think normal people get to be gods and goddesses?

BEAT: They do in SOME of the stories!

BENE: Only if they’re VERY SPECIAL people.

BEAT: Our mother WAS very special.

BENE: I don’t remember. I was too young when she died.

BEAT: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sad.

BENE: I’m not sad! Let’s get back to our game.

BEAT: What game?

BENE: Who’s the better archer!

BEAT: I thought I’d already WON that!

BENE: You can shoot FARTHER, but can you shoot HIGHER?

BEAT: Well, HOW are we going to measure THAT?

BENE: We’ll just shoot at the same time, and see who’s arrow goes higher!

BEAT: Well they’re not going to stay UP there! What do we do when they turn around and fall to earth?

BENE: RUN! Ready? Aim… RELEASE! [both shoot arrows in the air] Look at THAT! See how HIGH mine went?

BEAT: Annnnnd HERE THEY COME!!!

[BENE and BEAT run offstage. An arrow and the eagle CELESTE fall from the sky. BENE and BEAT creep back over to the bird.]

BEAT: Oh Benny! What did you DO?

BENE: I didn’t do anything!

BEAT: You shot a bird!

BENE: How do you know it was ME?

BEAT: MY arrow didn’t go that high! YOU won THAT round! And it’s an EAGLE! You killed an EAGLE!

CELESTE: OHHHHHWWW!

BENE: I didn’t KILL it! SEE?

BEAT: STILL! You shot it down! You INJURED it! THAT can’t be good…

BENE: Why can’t that be good?

BEAT: It’s an EAGLE, you blockhead! The symbol of the ROMAN EMPIRE! Jupiter’s favorite bird! This is a VERY BAD thing you’ve done!

BENE: You think Papa will be upset?

BEAT: I think the ROMAN ARMY will be upset! I think the GODS will be upset!

BENE: OK! OK! What do we DO?

CELESTE: What happened?

BEAT [whispering]: It’s TALKING!

BENE: So TALK to it!

BEAT: PEOPLE can’t talk to EAGLES!

BENE: They can in SOME of the stories!

CELESTE: Where am I?

BENE: You’re on the Island of Patmos.

CELESTE: How did I get here?

BEAT: My brother shot you down!

BENE: It was an ACCIDENT! HONEST! I didn’t see you flying there!

CELESTE: What were you shooting at, Boy?

BENE: Nothing! I just shot an arrow in the air, to see how high it would go.

CELESTE: Foolish, foolish child!

BENE: I’m sorry!

CELESTE: Well , don’t just stand there.

BEAT: What, what should we do?

CELESTE: Get it OUT of me!

BENE: Beatty?

BEAT: I—I’ve never done anything like that!

CELESTE: If you children are going to PLAY with things that can HURT others, then by JUPITER you’d better learn how to HEAL those you hurt!

BENE: OK, well we’ll enroll in the next class we can, but WHAT do we do NOW?

BEAT: I don’t KNOW!

BENE: YOU’RE the BIG SISTER! You always act like you know EVERYTHING!

BEAT: I do NOT!

BENE: SURE you do! You’re ALWAYS telling me what to do. Now I NEED you to tell me what to do, because I DON’T KNOW!
CELESTE: Children! FOCUS! OOOOOH!

BEAT: Well if YOU hadn’t shot in the air!

BENE: YOU shot too!

BEAT: But you shot HIGHER!

JOHN [entering from cave]: What’s all this fuss about?

BENE [moving to hide CELESTE]: Fuss?

BEAT [joining BENE in trying to cover up]: What fuss?

JOHN: I don’t know. Sounds like SOMEONE shot SOMETHING too high… Do you want to tell me about it?

BEAT: We’re not supposed to talk to you.

JOHN: Oh, I’m sorry. I guess that’s because I’m a prisoner, and you’re the children of one of my guards. Is that it?

[BEAT nods.]

JOHN: Well, I’m sorry to disturb you. It just seemed like maybe you needed some help, but I guess I was mistaken… [Turns to go.]

BENE: Um… Sir?

JOHN: Yes?

BENE: You wouldn’t happen to know how to heal an arrow wound, would you?

JOHN: Who is wounded?

BENE: Um, well, it’s not so much a WHO as a WHAT [steps aside and shows JOHN CELESTE]

JOHN: I see.

CELESTE: SOMEBODY help me!

BENE: Can you heal her?

JOHN: I know someone who can?

BEAT: Who?

JOHN: My Lord.

BEAT: Are you a worshipper of Apollo? Or Aesclepius?

JOHN: No, my Lord is Jesus Christ.

BEAT & BENE [together]: WHO?

JOHN: Jesus Christ.

BEAT: Is that some new god?

JOHN: No, he’s the eternal Word. He was with the Father in the beginning, before anything was made. Here, help me get her into my cave.

BENE: Is this JESUS in your CAVE?

JOHN: He’s EVERYWHERE. But last week I saw him in my cave, yes.

BEAT: You did?

JOHN: Yes. Help me lift her.

CELESTE: AAAAAUGHH! CAREFUL!

JOHN: Just bring her over here into the shade. Son—what’s your name?

BENE: Benedict.

JOHN: Benedict. I have some herbs on a table, just inside the cave there. And a knife. Could you get them for me?

BENE: Sure! [goes to cave].

JOHN: And daughter—

BEAT: Beatriz.

JOHN: Beatriz. I will need some salt water. There’s a small pitcher in my cave, just run down to the sea and get some. [BEAT goest to cave and exits down the beach]. And what is YOUR name?

CELESTE: Celeste.

JOHN: Celeste. “Heavenly.” And my name is John.

CELESTE: And this new god of yours—

JOHN: There’s only one true God. You and I know that.

CELESTE: I’ve never heard of this “Jesus”

JOHN: He is God’s Son. You fly through the heavens and look down on all of creation. Certainly you know HIM!

CELESTE: I don’t know what you’re talking about.

JOHN: Well God has brought you here for a very special purpose.

CELESTE: I don’t like the sound of THAT!

JOHN: He has given me a message which I must get to the seven churches of Asia minor.

CELESTE: The seven WHAT?

JOHN: Churches. Gatherings of Believers, in Ephesus, Smyrna, Peragmum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea. And since I’m stuck on this island, and prisoners aren’t allowed to use the mail service, I need you to take it to them.

CELESTE: You expect ME to be your CARRIER PIGEON?! I’m an EAGLE! I’m the symbol of the ROMAN EMPIRE. I’m the favorite of JUPITER!

JOHN: There IS no Jupiter, and you KNOW it. These Romans have put a lot of crazy notions in your head, and made you think more highly of yourself than you ought to think.

CELESTE: Leave me be! I don’t want anyone who disregards Jupiter to try to heal me.

JOHN: I worship the ONE TRUE GOD. And you are the greatest of his winged creatures, but you are STILL a creature, and you must do what HE commands. And I think he has brought you here to carry his word to his people.

CELESTE: I don’t believe you.

JOHN: Search your heart, and you will find it is true. And whether or not you want it, I AM going to tend your wound, because if I don’t, it will fester and you will die.

BENE [returning from cave] Here you go!

BEAT [returning from sea]: And here’s your water.

JOHN: Thank you Benedict. Thank you Beatriz. Celeste, this is going to hurt a bit. [stands over her and pulls the arrow out]

CELESTE: AAAAAAAAUGH!

JOHN: There it is! [holds up arrow]

CELESTE: OHHH! Is that an EAGLE feather on the shaft?

BEAT: Yes it is.

CELESTE: ALAS! See how I have given my enemy the means of my own destruction!

BENE: But I’m not your enemy!

JOHN: And you won’t be destroyed by it. Now just let me clean out the wound…

ARMOND [offstage]: Benedict! Beatriz! Where have those two gone to?

BEAT: Here we are, Papa!

ARMOND [entering]: What are you doing here? Haven’t I told you before not to go near the prisoners’ quarters!

BEAT: It’s alright, Father.

JOHN: My name is John.

ARMOND: And what are you doing with my children?

JOHN: Your son shot down an eagle, which I am tending.

ARMOND: You shot down a WHAT?

BENE: An eagle. It was an ACCIDENT! She just flew into my path!

ARMOND: Son! Do you have any idea how SERIOUS this is?

BEAT: Yes Papa, we know.

JOHN: That’s why they thought it best to keep it a secret from your fellow Romans, and brought the bird to me.

ARMOND: Are you sure you can heal it?

JOHN: With God’s help, I can.

ARMOND: Very well then, I thank you. And children, lets be on our way.

BEAT: Yes, Papa.

BENE: But can we come back tomorrow and check on the bird’s health?

BENE & BEAT [together]: PLEEEASE!

ARMOND: All right. But come on, now!

BENE: Goodbye John.

BEAT: We’ll pray for your success.

[ARMOND, BEAT & BENE exit.]

JOHN: And so will I, child, so will I!

CELESTE: And so will I!

JOHN: Just be sure you pray to the TRUE GOD!

[CURTAIN]