ACT III
(CUT FROM BLACK. Int. safe house, moments later. KENT is still surprised by the time showing on the clock. JIM, CINNAMON, ROLLIN, WILLY, and CRAIG are as they were.)
JIM
(in accented voice) I wanted to see how our new guest is getting along. (to KENT) Are you getting along, Dr. Kent?
KENT
(urgently but under control) Mr. Armus, you know that I cannot stay here. I need to get out of the country.
JIM
Patience. Are you well, here?
KENT
Fine. But I should not be here. I was promised—
JIM
Yes, yes, you were promised to be taken to the other side of the world. But that is not possible at this time.
KENT
I must—
JIM
It will be possible soon.
KENT
How soon?
JIM
A matter of days, perhaps. Arrangements are being made right now. (to the others) Arrangements are being made for all of you!
(CINNAMON and ROLLIN smile at what sounds like good news. CRAIG does not react.)
JIM
(to everyone) I warn you— the travel will not be comfortable! Certainly not as comfortable as staying here.
(JIM checks his watch.)
JIM
(to everyone) I must be going. But I want you all to remember something. When the time comes to leave, you must all be ready to leave on very short notice! You will have no more than two minutes to be ready! Do you understand?
(KENT, CINNAMON and ROLLIN all nod. CRAIG stays still. JIM makes a hand gesture— like a man giving an injection— to WILLY, and WILLY nods. JIM abruptly leaves and closes the door, which locks with a loud CLANK-CLANK [SFX]. KENT tests the door; it is locked tight. While ROLLIN and CINNAMON talk, KENT sidles over to CRAIG, and WILLY unlocks the basement door [SFX], goes into the basement, and re-locks the door [SFX].)
ROLLIN
A few days! The end is in sight! Finally!
CINNAMON
I hope it's sooner rather than later.
(While ROLLIN and CINNAMON converse, KENT sits next to CRAIG. CRAIG faces KENT.)
KENT
Tommy, may I ask you something?
CRAIG
Okay.
KENT
How did you know Mr. Armus was going to visit us today— at 12:38?
CRAIG
I didn't know.
KENT
Ah, but when you were in a trance, you predicted it.
CRAIG
Oh. I was through the doorway. Once I go through the doorway, I don't remember, until I come out.
KENT
Huh?
CINNAMON
Do not ask him such things. He does not remember.
KENT
(sneering) It was all planned, wasn't it?
(CINNAMON is about to confront KENT, when the basement door unlocks [SFX] and WILLY emerges, carrying a newspaper. WILLY re-locks the door [SFX], and throws the newspaper on the kitchen table. The headline is "NASA ANNOUNCES PLANS".)
WILLY
You may make your lunch now. Here is the afternoon newspaper.
(KENT startles upon seeing the headline. He pulls a piece of paper from his pocket, on which are listed in his handwriting: "Armus to visit at 12:38?"; "NASA announces plans"; "Two killed in bridge collapse" (Sat. paper); "A major movie star made a surprise visit to Washington this afternoon (local TV Sat. eve.)"; "A minor earthquake hit Mexico City today, home of the upcoming Summer Olympics (nat'l TV); "Quake rattles Mexico City (Sun. paper)"; "President to meet with G? (Mon. paper)" As ROLLIN reaches for the afternoon newspaper, KENT grabs it and stares at the headline. KENT is stunned. ROLLIN smiles and looks at CINNAMON, who also smiles. ROLLIN starts to make a sandwich, and CINNAMON talks to CRAIG quietly. CRAIG shrugs. Then CINNAMON and CRAIG go upstairs. KENT checks his notes and the headline, and is baffled. KENT sits at the kitchen table, with ROLLIN. KENT is examining the newspaper first section thoroughly.)
ROLLIN
(sitting with a sandwich on a plate) Look, can you at least pass me the section that has the crossword puzzle in it?
(KENT takes one more look at a section, then tosses it to ROLLIN.)
ROLLIN
Thank you.
KENT
I don't get it.
ROLLIN
(absently, looking for the crossword) You don't get what?
KENT
(agitated) This is a real newspaper!
ROLLIN
(absently) Yeah, so?
KENT
I've used faked newspapers for— for various purposes. But this newspaper is authentic.
ROLLIN
Yes, it's a real newspaper. Real news, real sports, real weather, real human interest.
KENT
(holding up the front page) But Tommy told us this headline more than three hours ago!
ROLLIN
(smiling, noshing his sandwich) Oh, yeah, you haven't seen Tommy do what he does. I've seen it quite a few times; I guess I'm more used to it. Come to think of it, when I first saw him do it, I reacted a little like you. I thought it was a trick. Very strange, isn't it?
KENT
Someone must have told him a headline from an early edition of the paper.
ROLLIN
(off-handedly) Probably the same guy who told him Armus would be arriving twenty-two minutes early.
(ROLLIN eats. KENT tries to sort it all out; he's puzzled and troubled.)
ROLLIN
Look, you want some advice? Just don't worry about it. Tommy said some things about tomorrow's newspaper, didn't he?
KENT
Yes. And the Saturday television news. And more—
ROLLIN
Listen. If you stew over everything, you won't sleep at night. Plus, if you get yourself all worked up, and then if what Tommy said about the Saturday newspaper turns out to be right, you'll go batty. And none of us wants you to go batty, believe me. So just let everything settle. Okay?
KENT
How far ahead does Tommy see things?
ROLLIN
One day, two days he's usually good; sometimes three.
KENT
How often does he— does he do this thing that he does?
ROLLIN
Katherine tries to ask him every other day whether we're going to get out of here. (glancing toward the upstairs) Tommy sometimes is up to doing it and sometimes he isn't. Since he did his bit this morning, he probably won't be up to doing it again until tomorrow at the earliest. Lately he's had the bad habit of waking up Katherine in the middle of the night to tell her he wants to find the doorway.
KENT
(still addled by it all) But—
ROLLIN
Did you hear Armus say that we had to be ready to leave on short notice? Armus knows that he doesn't have to give us any notice at all. He knows Tommy will tell us when it's time to go.
KENT
What if— Tommy doesn't tell us? (swallows) Did you know there's going to be a catastrophe in Washington in about a week?
ROLLIN
(surprised and suspicious) No, I didn't know that.
KENT
Well, I DO know it. And I have to be out of here at least a couple of days before it happens.
ROLLIN
I'm sure that Tommy will tell us by Sunday or Monday when we'll be going.
KENT
(gravely) He'd better.
ROLLIN
And if he doesn't— well, (smirking) I'll leave anyway.
KENT
But— you can't leave, can you?
ROLLIN
(confidentially) Don't tell anybody, but there's a key to the front door that's hidden, and I know where it is.
KENT
So you could sneak out in the middle of the night, if you wanted to?
ROLLIN
Not the middle of the night, no. The alarms are active between nine at night and five in the morning. I've thought about sneaking out at five a.m. a couple of times, before Fritz wakes up, but—
(CINNAMON comes down the stairs and joins ROLLIN and KENT.)
CINNAMON
Tommy just tried to find the doorway. He couldn't find it. He might not be able to find it until Sunday.
(ROLLIN is disappointed. KENT is intrigued.)
KENT
Yeah, the "doorway." Tommy mentioned a "doorway" to me, too. What does that mean?
CINNAMON
Are you just going to make fun of him?
KENT
No, I really want to know.
CINNAMON
(suspicious) All right. When Tommy intuits, he does not sleep. He puts himself in a mental state in which he can see a doorway. And then he moves his consciousness through that doorway.
ROLLIN
Did you see Tommy's wrist? It shudders when he's through the doorway, and it stops when he comes back out.
CINNAMON
When Tommy is through the doorway, he has a heightened sense of intuition. But it's not conscious, and he never remembers any of it.
(KENT doesn't scoff, but he clearly does not accept what he's been told.)
CINNAMON
I don't understand it myself! All I know is, Tommy does what he can do.
KENT
Would Tommy submit to a test? I'd like to ask him some questions.
CINNAMON
He won't listen to you, he will only listen to me.
KENT
(mildly smirking) Well, ask him for me next time, will you, which I will do first on the following morning: will I drink coffee first, or will I check the sports page of the newspaper first?
(CINNAMON gets furious.)
CINNAMON
You will come with me.
(CINNAMON grabs KENT by the ear and drags him away from the kitchen table and toward the front door. KENT is taken totally by surprise and he yelps but has no choice to go along. When CINNAMON lets KENT go, he starts to protest, but CINNAMON turns on him in righteous anger, and pushes KENT up against the door, and yet CINNAMON speaks in a low voice so as not to disturb the whole house.)
CINNAMON
Now, you listen to me! Do you think I don't know what you're trying to do? Get that idea out of your head, right now!
KENT
(intimidated) What!? What idea?
CINNAMON
You want Tommy to make a prediction that you can prove wrong!
KENT
No, I—
CINNAMON
If Tommy says you'll drink coffee first, you will go out of your way NOT to drink coffee first, but will deliberately check the sports page first! And if Tommy says you'll check the sports page before drinking coffee, you'll drink your coffee first! Whatever Tommy says, you'll make him wrong!
(KENT stammers, tacitly admitting that that was exactly what he had in mind.)
KENT
Well, what would be wrong with—?
CINNAMON
(interrupting) I'll tell you what would be wrong!
(CINNAMON gives KENT some breathing room.)
CINNAMON
Some months ago, some men tested Tommy. They asked him to predict what they would have for breakfast the next morning. Tommy said they would have ham and eggs. The next morning, they told the cook— who was about to make ham and eggs— that they wanted pancakes instead. When the cook made pancake batter, do you know what happened to Tommy?
KENT
(trying to lighten the mood) Well, he didn't die.
CINNAMON
No, Tommy didn't die, but he had the most excruciating headache I've ever seen. He was in agony, and no medications helped. The headache stayed with him for over six hours.
(KENT is not buying it, but he won't contradict what he's been told.)
KENT
Oh?
CINNAMON
I won't let Tommy go through that again.
KENT
Okay.
(CUT TO: The basement, later in the day. In the background, the calendars shows "Today's REAL date" is Monday July 8 and "Kent thinks today is" Friday July 5. JIM enters through the door from the outside. BARNEY is listening to the conversation in the house, but notices JIM's entrance.)
ROLLIN'S VOICE
She's very protective of her brother.
KENT'S VOICE
Yes, she is.
ROLLIN'S VOICE
Do you like crosswords? I could use a little help. Two down, four letters—
(BARNEY turns the volume down.)
JIM
How's it going?
BARNEY
He's not buying it yet, but he's interested.
JIM
Good. Tomorrow's newspaper and news broadcasts should really get him wondering.
BARNEY
Any news from the outside, where it's Monday instead of Friday?
JIM
Yes, some good news and some bad. The bad news is that search teams have checked sectors one through forty, and have found no sign of the virus. If we can't recover it by Thursday, there might be an effort to evacuate the city. They are already talking about evacuation drills.
BARNEY
Man, oh man.
JIM
Yeah. The good news is that everyone who's looking for Kent is looking in the wrong place, and their searches are taking them farther and farther from Washington.
BARNEY
Good. Less chance they'll spot Kent when he leaves here. Rollin told Kent about the secret key, by the way.
JIM
Good.
(CUT TO: Ext. safe house, evening. CUT TO: KENT in his own bedroom, getting ready for bed. There is a knock on the door. KENT opens the door and finds CINNAMON standing there.)
KENT
Katherine?
CINNAMON
I just wanted to apologize for being so— cross with you earlier.
KENT
It's all right.
CINNAMON
I also wanted to tell you that I spoke to Tommy, and he will try to give you another demonstration tomorrow afternoon, if he can. However—
KENT
However?
CINNAMON
If he is able to do it, it will be very brief. Not as long as the one this morning. Tommy was— a shorter demonstration would be better for him.
KENT
All right. Tomorrow afternoon.
CINNAMON
Yes. And have you spoken to Fritz about viewing his television tomorrow night?
KENT
No.
CINNAMON
Speak to him. We all want to see.
KENT
I will.
CINNAMON
Good night.
KENT
Good night.
(CINNAMON turns away, KENT closes his bedroom door. CUT TO: Ext. safe house, at night. DISSOLVE TO: Ext. safe house, next morning. CUT TO: The basement. BARNEY gets out of his cot and rubs his eyes, then changes the calendars: "Today's REAL date" is Tuesday July 9 and "Kent thinks today is" Saturday July 6. WILLY enters from the outside, carrying a newspaper.)
WILLY
'Morning, Barney.
BARNEY
How ya doin', Willy?
WILLY
Hope we won't need it, but I got the Tuesday newspaper.
(BARNEY takes the newspaper from WILLY and puts it in the rack in its proper slot, then hands WILLY the crisp newspaper from the Saturday slot. WILLY looks at the newspaper and heads for the stairs up to the kitchen.)
BARNEY
This should be an interesting day. Let me know whether Kent's demeanor indicates he's taking things more seriously.
WILLY
Right.
(WILLY heads up the stairs, with the newspaper. CUT TO: KENT at the breakfast table with the newspaper. The largest headline reads, "2 KILLED IN BRIDGE COLLAPSE"; and KENT compares it with what he wrote down yesterday. KENT is visibly shaken, and he begins to check the newspaper for signs of trickery. ROLLIN approaches as WILLY heads upstairs.)
ROLLIN
I was going to make some eggs. You want some?
KENT
No. No, thank you. I'm not hungry.
(ROLLIN peeks at the newspaper; KENT sees him do it.)
ROLLIN
How'd Tommy do?
KENT
(showing the headline to ROLLIN) He was totally accurate.
ROLLIN
(nonchalant) Yeah, it is strange. And it's a real newspaper, isn't it?
KENT
(pointing to a paragraph in the newspaper story) Yes! And what's more, this bridge collapse, that Tommy predicted— it occurred three hours AFTER Tommy predicted the headline!
ROLLIN
(unimpressed) Yeah. How about that? If I made orange juice, would you like some of that?
(WILLY comes downstairs.)
WILLY
I would like some orange juice.
ROLLIN
Yes, sir.
(ROLLIN makes orange juice. KENT stands up and approaches WILLY. WILLY doesn't seem happy to communicate with KENT.)
WILLY
(to KENT) What do you want?
KENT
Sir, I was just wondering whether I might trouble you to view your television this evening—
WILLY
(interrupting) To see the news, right? That boy said there would be something on the TV news, and you want to see if he's right, is that it?
KENT
Yes.
WILLY
Forget it!
KENT
(in earnest) Look, sir, let me see the local and national news tonight, and I promise that, for the rest of my time here, I will be no trouble at all. I will not bother you about anything.
(CINNAMON comes downstairs.)
WILLY
I said, forget it!
CINNAMON
(to WILLY) Sir, I wonder whether you would reconsider, for me?
WILLY
(thinking a moment, then relenting) Okay. But no more favors.
CINNAMON
Fine.
(WILLY takes a glass of orange juice and goes upstairs.)
KENT
(to CINNAMON) Favors?
CINNAMON
About a month ago, Tommy told Fritz the outcome of an important baseball game. Fritz bet a lot of money on that game and won. After that, he was nicer to Tommy and to me. But lately he's reverted to his grumpy former self.
KENT
Oh.
CINNAMON
We'll knock on Fritz's door just before six.
(KENT nods. CUT TO: Ext. safe house, afternoon. CUT TO: The basement. BARNEY is loading video onto a player. JIM comes in through the door to the outside.)
BARNEY
I'm getting ready for the local news broadcast, Jim.
(JIM checks his watch. It is 5:40.)
BARNEY
And Craig's about to give another demonstration. A short one.
JIM
Good; I meet with Hodge and his people tomorrow afternoon. But Barney, we've got a problem. They're posting evacuation route signs all over Washington. When Kent breaks out in two days, he'll see those signs.
BARNEY
And from Kent's point of view, there won't be anything in the newspapers about it. He'll know something is up.
JIM
Here's what I've got in mind, Barney. You've got to make sure that when Kent leaves the house on Thursday morning, what he thinks is Monday, you HAVE to be with him from the start. I think we can modify the original plan by just making some simple changes—
(CUT TO: The upstairs of the house, Craig's bedroom. CRAIG is on his side in bed. CINNAMON and KENT stand nearby. KENT holds a pad and pencil, and has written something on the pad. KENT tries to casually peer into CRAIG's ear, but sees nothing unusual. CRAIG's wrist starts to twitch. KENT tears the written-on page from the pad.)
CINNAMON
Tommy, do you see the house on Sunday?
CRAIG
I see the house.
CINNAMON
Is Mr. Armus coming on Sunday?
CRAIG
No.
(KENT hands the page with writing to CINNAMON.)
KENT
Ask him this.
(CINNAMON takes the paper and glances at it. Satisfied, she nods to KENT.)
CINNAMON
Tommy—
(CRAIG's wrist stops moving. CINNAMON and KENT exchange looks of disappointment. The clock next to the bed shows a time of 5:53. CUT TO: The hallway, minutes later. KENT comes out of Craig's bedroom. Moments later, CINNAMON follows, and ROLLIN joins them. They all walk to WILLY's bedroom. Upon a nod from CINNAMON, KENT knocks on the door politely. WILLY opens the door. In the bedroom, the television is on, and a commercial is playing. The picture on the TV is snowy. WILLY leaves the door open. KENT, CINNAMON, and ROLLIN stand near the open door, where WILLY tells them to stand.)
WILLY
(pointing) You stand right there. Don't touch the TV. This is as good as the picture gets, and I don't want you monkeying with the TV to try to get better reception. Got it?
KENT
Yes.
(KENT pulls out the slip of paper on which he had written "A major movie star made a surprise visit to Washington this afternoon." On the TV, the local Saturday evening news begins.)
ANNOUNCER (V.O. on TV)
This is the Saturday six o'clock news, with Dennis Spain.
LOCAL NEWSCASTER (on TV)
Good evening. A major movie star made a surprise visit to Washington this afternoon; visitors to the United States Capitol were astonished to see actor James—
(KENT is amazed and darts out of the room into the hallway. He pulls out the paper with scribbling, and looks at it again. ROLLIN and CINNAMON stand with KENT.)
KENT
It can't be!
CINNAMON
I don't understand why you say that.
KENT
That's Dennis Spain! I know Dennis! He would never do a false newscast!
(KENT grabs his head, trying to sort it out.)
ROLLIN
(to CINNAMON) What did I tell you? He couldn't handle it. He's going batty.
KENT
(angrily) I am not going batty! (forced calm) I'm not!
(CUT TO BLACK.)
