Chapter Five
Toulouse sings: (drunk) How wonderful life is, now you're in the world...
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How wonderful life was now Piper was in the world. But in Dan, Morris had got much more than he had bargained for.
Dan: Transforming the Moulin Rouge into a theater will cost a fantastic sum of money, Morris. So in return I would require a contract that...umm...ugh...binds Piper to me, exclusively. Naturally, I shall require some security; I shall require the deeds to the Moulin Rouge.
Morris: My dear Dan...I--
Dan: Pish!...don't think that I'm naïve, Morris. I shall hold the deeds to the Moulin Rouge. And if there are any shenanigans, my manservant Warner, will deal with it in the only language that you underworld show-folk people understand. Piper will be mine. It's not that I'm a jealous man. I JUST DON'T LIKE OTHER PEOPLE TOUCHING MY THINGS!
Morris: I understand completely, Dan.
Dan: Now that we have an understanding, it would appear that ugh...you have the means to transform your beloved Moulin Rouge...
Morris: INTO A THEATER!
Dan: I shall woo Piper over supper tonight.
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Morris:
We will have created the world's first completely modern, entirely
electric, totally Bohemian, all singing, all dancing, STAGE
SPECTACULAR! The show must go on!
(Piper spots Leo and smiles at
him. Dan thinks she is smiling at him)
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Yes, the show would go on, but Satine would not attend the supper that night, or the following night.
Leo: "Tell me you don't love me!" Mad with jealousy, the evil Maharaja forces the courtesan to make the penniless sitar player believe she doesn't love him.
Toulouse: Oh yes...
Leo:
"Thank you for curing me of my ridiculous obsession with love!"
says the penniless sitar player, throwing money at her feet and
leaving the kingdom forever!
(Leo gets on the balcony and
threatens to jump)
Piper: No!
Toulouse: Brilliant. Brilliant!
Piper: Oh, but a life without love, that's--that's terrible.
Leo: Yes, but the sitar player... with the magical sitar...
Toulouse: That's my part Leo, that's--that's--that's my part Leo. The magical sitar that can only speak the truth says... he says...
Leo: The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.
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(Leo
and Piper are kissing)
Dan: A picnic sweet lady?
Piper: Oh well, we have so much to do, so much work!
Dan: Well if the young writer can carry a blanket and basket, I don't see why you both can't do it in my presence.
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Leo: Toulouse, so the magical sitar player falls from the roof...
Toulouse: Yes, yes, yes I know. Don't tell me this. "The greatest thing you'll ever...
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(Piper
and Leo are kissing yet again, when Dan bursts in. They part...)
Dan:
Still at it my sweet?
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Toulouse: master... make... contract...
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Piper: Oh my dear, sweet Dan. There's so many lines to learn. We've been drilling them them over and over.
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For try as Dan may, it was almost too easy for the young writer and the lead actress to invent perfectly legitimate reasons to avoid him.
Leo: Mademoiselle Piper, I haven't quite finished writing that new scene. The...um... "Will the lovers be meeting at the sitar's player humble abode" scene. And I wondered if I could work on it with you later tonight.
Dan: But--but my dear, I've arranged a magnificent supper for us in the Gothic Tower.
Leo: Well, it's not important, we--we could work on it tomorrow.
Piper: How dare you! It cannot wait until tomorrow. "The lovers will be meeting in the sitar's player humble abode" scene is the most important in the production. We'll work on it tonight until I'm completely satisfied.
Dan: But my dear--
Piper: Dear Dan, excuse me.
Leo: I'm sorry.
Morris:
Bright and early tomorrow morning, we'll begin on act two; "The
lovers are discovered!"
(Leo and Piper are kissing
passionately on the balcony of the theatre. They are out of sight to
all (almost))
Dan: Morris!
Morris: My dear Dan, everything is arranged for that special supper in the Gothic Tower tonight.
Dan: Oh yes, eat it yourself Morris. Her affections are waning...
Morris: Impossible!
Dan: I understand how important your work is to her, but she's always at it with that damn writer. (Morris spots them kissing) If I don't see her tonight, I'm bally well leaving!
Morris: No, dear Dan! I'll insist Piper takes the night off.
Dan: All right, all right... eight o' clock then.
