A Separate War and Other Stories (31 page)
Read A Separate War and Other Stories Online
Authors: Joe Haldeman
GIRL
Iâ¦of course.
LONG TWO SHOT as HAZLIK stretches and yawns hugely, smiles at GIRL and says good-bye with casual wave. CAMERA FOLLOWS as he returns to party. He passes several other couples making love, but of course pays no attention, except to exchange spoken greeting with one man.
CUT TO: LONG SHOT, party interior. SMELL: Dope and tobacco smoke, incense, crowd odor very slight, alcohol and coffee. There are about sixty people standing and sitting around in small groups. HAZLIK enters through inconspicuous automatic door, walks toward bar. SOMATIC: Thirst, nervous energy. SUBLIMINAL: Male sexual tension 0.05.
HAZLIK
TO BARTENDER
Double wine punch, ice.
MEDIUM TWO SHOT as CELIA approaches HAZLIK'S back. ADRENALINE: 0.10, SUBLIMINAL: Feel of hands squeezing HAZLIK'S throat.
CELIA
Having a good time, Darling?
HAZLIK
TURNS
Ah, Celia. Darling. Yes, a wonderful time.
CELIA
TO BARTENDER (OFF)
Cold bhang, pleaseâ¦Thank you.
CELIA moves in very close to HAZLIK, smiles.
CELIA
OVER GLASS, VENOMOUS WHISPER
You old goatâ¦thatâ¦
child
!
HAZLIK
ARTIFICIAL SMILE. SUBLIMINAL: Buggery, violent rape.
I didn't know you'd had experience with goats, too, darling.
CELIA
Only you, my dear.
Tense silence for several seconds. TASTE: Cold bhang, spiced wine. SOMATIC: Dope 0.05. ADRENALINE down and OUT.
HAZLIK
SOFTENING SLIGHTLY
She was something special to you?
CELIA gulps half of her drink and looks away from HAZLIK, abstracted. SOMATIC: Dope 0.10.
CELIA
Once.
SUBLIMINAL: Fear spectrum slowly UP to SOMATIC: Stomach tightens, ADRENALINE: 0.20 as HAZLIK remembers CELIA'S reputation.
HAZLIK
SLOWLY
I'm sorry. I really amâ¦there was no way I could have known.
CELIA
LOOKING AT HIM STRANGELY.
No.
CELIA walks away as HAZLIK studies his drink. SOMATIC: Fear spectrum fade DOWN and slowly OUT. HAZLIK walks off in other direction. CAMERA FOLLOWS for a short distance. HAZLIK idly stops to watch a dice game in progress on a table which is a large block of natural crystal. The three dice clatter down and come to a rest: fifteen. Mixed murmurs of approval and unhappiness. Money changes hands. SUBLIMINAL: Feel, smell of money. SOUND of money crinkling.
PLAYER
High up
sans
thirteen.
OTHER PLAYERS
Cover high.
Low middle.
High middle.
Low field.
PLAYER
Thirteen, somebody.
HAZLIK
How much?
PLAYER
One thouâ¦oh, Hazlik. Good party. Why don't you wait for a field?
HAZLIK
Ahâ¦luck is luck.
While HAZLIK takes wallet from cape pocket, MORENO approaches, comes up very close.
TIGHT TWO SHOT as MORENO speaks softly to HAZLIK. SMELL: Strong coffee on breath.
MORENO
WHISPERS
Hazlik. I have to talk to you.
HAZLIK hands single bill to PLAYER, turns back to MORENO.
HAZLIK
A LITTLE ANNOYED
Can't it wait?
MORENO
No. Not at all.
HAZLIK turns back on game as dice clatter. CAMERA FOLLOWS as he walks off with MORENO.
PLAYER (OFF)
Fifteen
again
!
HAZLIK
AS THEY WALK
Well?
MORENO
LOOKING AROUND
One of your guests, umâ¦(WHISPERS) have you met Fredrika's escort?
HAZLIK
EXPRESSIONLESS
Yes. Pleasant fellow.
MORENO
Can we go somewhere in private?
HAZLIK
SHRUGS
The outside balcony. Here.
They both step into a lift zone and float to the second floor.
SOMATIC: Stomach dropping reinforced by ADRENALINE: 0.10. HAZLIK opens manual door and steps outside. MORENO follows.
LONG SHOT past HAZLIK as he goes to edge of balcony and looks out over grounds. The full moon is up; acres of neat grass, landscaping, formal gardens. SMELL: Flowers, grass. SOUND: Crickets, far-off jungle noises, MORENO'S footsteps as he comes to join HAZLIK.
TIGHT TWO SHOT on MORENO and HAZLIK.
MORENO
You keep the jungle away quite well.
HAZLIK
Yes. I wish I could pattern my life so. (SMILES) Fredrika?
INTERCUT CLOSE-UPS MORENO and HAZLIK.
MORENO
Her “George.” He worked for me once. I had to discharge him.
HAZLIK
STILL GAZING OVER GROUNDS
For good reason, I'm sure.
MORENO
He killed a man.
HAZLIK laughs, a short bark, and looks at MORENO, wryly.
HAZLIK
You've never killed a man.
MORENO snorts and walks a short distance away. He talks into the night.
MORENO
I'm not talking about business. He killed this man for pleasureâ¦
PAUSE. SUBLIMINAL: Spiders crawling through filth.
after making love to him. I later foundâ¦(PAUSE) that he had done it before. Also to women.
HAZLIK
LIGHTLY
He seems a man well suited to his profession.
HAZLIK turns his back to the railing and studies the party below, through the glass doors. SOUND: Faint party noises.
HAZLIK
What has this to do with me?
MORENO
Everything and nothing. (TURNS) There
will
be murder here tonight. She wouldn't have broughtâ¦himâ¦as a social ornament.
HAZLIK takes out a dopestick and has trouble waving it alight. TIGHT on HAZLIK as he blows the tip into flame and sucks. SOMATIC: Dope 0.40 then UNDER to 0.10.
HAZLIK
This is the most private of private property, on Earth. She will play her games and there will be no trouble, unless somebody wants to make trouble. With her, not many would.
MORENO
Don't you care who is going to die in your own house?
HAZLIK
I don't care to
know
. Not ahead of time.
MORENO
Not even if it's a friend, or someone you love? Not even if it is yourself?
HAZLIK turns around again, slowly, and throws dopestick over balcony edge. He watches the spark fall and die.
HAZLIK
Fredrika is bold. But she is not stupid. (PAUSES) Besides, how could
you
know who herâ¦intended is?
MORENO
SHRUGS
I don't. But I have men here, too.
HAZLIK
COLDLY
Were they invited?
MORENO
Yes. You said to bring a friend. I brought a very good friend. So did Porfiry Esterbrook, and so didâ¦
HAZLIK
I see. How many?
MORENO
Enough to isolate⦓George”â¦and ask him some questions.
HAZLIK
TO HIMSELF
You aren't doing this for my sake. (ADDRESSES MORENO DIRECTLY, SHADE OF MENACE) Exactly what is going on?
MORENO
That also may be one of those things that you don't wish to know.
MORENO sees HAZLIK'S face and realizes he's gone a little too far. SOMATIC: Stomach tightening and ADRENALINE: 0.20.
MORENO
LONG PAUSE, SWALLOWS
All right. Aâ¦a power struggle, so to speak. Noâan extermination! (SPEAKING WITH PASSION FOR THE FIRST TIME) The old bitch has got to go! Our lives areâ¦too complicated, too uncertain. Get rid of her, andâ
HAZLIK
I believe she has been useful to me in the past. You've probably used her services, too. One never remembers, of course.
MORENO
ANGRY
No. Never.
HAZLIK
It certainly was convenient to your industry when Mlle. Legrange passed on.
MORENO
Yes. But I never would have hired that old hag to do it. It was a fortunate accident.
HAZLIK
LIGHT LAUGH, SOMEHOW EVIL
Our little world is full of accidents that turn out to favor one or the other of us. Fredrika is behind most of them.
MORENO
FACE SET
But not Mlle. Legrange.
HAZLIK
As you wish.
The two men stand in silence for twenty seconds. HAZLIK takes out a dopestick and then returns it to the pack.
HAZLIK
At any rateâ¦you wish to enlist my aid, against Fredrika?
MORENO
Not directly. I'd like some guarantee that you won't interfere, though.
HAZLIK Silent.
Do you still have those, uh, small roomsâ¦underneath the place?
HAZLIK
The soundproofed conference rooms? Of course. Would you like one?
MORENO
Yes! If we could get himâ¦
HAZLIK
I don't want to hear about it. Not until afterwards. And never, unless it directly concerns me.
MORENO
Excellent. I'll tellâ
HAZLIK
Wait. I go first.
HAZLIK leaves. CUT TO: BIG CLOSE-UP of MORENO, smiling now.
FADE OUT to COMMERCIAL.
COMMERICAL: One-minute Stiffener © spot.
FADE IN: ESTABLISHING SHOT III: MEDIUM, GROUP SHOT of FREDRIKA and GEORGE with several other people, talking. A white-coated servant glides up to FREDRIKA and whispers something to her. She goes away with him. GEORGE begins to follow, but THREE MEN pass between them.
BIG CLOSE-UP on right hand of FIRST MAN, who is holding a small ampoule.
TIGHT TWO SHOT of FIRST MAN and GEORGE as FIRST MAN squeezes ampoule and a jet of colorless fluid sprays into GEORGE'S face. It is “come-along” gas. SMELL: Ammonia; FEEL: Icy splash on face.
GEORGE reaches out with left “hand” but barely brushes man's arm. GEORGE gets a funny passive look, his hand drops back, and he stands still.
FIRST MAN
WHISPERING
Now, George, just follow us.
TIGHT GROUP SHOT of the THREE MEN herding GEORGE away. CAMERA FOLLOWS for a short distance.
CUT TO: MEDIUM TWO SHOT of FREDRIKA and SERVANT. She is arguing with him and doesn't notice GEORGE is headed the other way.
CUT TO: LONG SHOT of downstairs room as THREE MEN and GEORGE enter. The walls and ceiling are covered with a mossy substance; the soundproofing. There is a conference table in the center of the room. The chair at the end of the table has manacles attached to the arms. SMELL: Dry “chemical” odor of soundproofing. SUBLIMINAL: Feel scratchy dry moss, smell brimstone and rotting flesh. ADRENALINE: 0.10 and OUT.
CAMERA FOLLOWS FIRST MAN and GEORGE to the end of the table.
FIRST MAN
You sit here.
TIGHT ON FIRST MAN as he grips edge of table, wobbles. SOMATIC: Extreme nausea, fire in right arm.
SECOND MAN (OFF)
What's wrong?
FIRST MAN
I don'tâ¦knowâ¦he must haveâ¦gotten (CHOKING SOUND)