that one of the candles is much lower than all of the others and is flickering.
DAVID
It was worth trying. I love her, you know.
MORRIE
(chuckles)
Oh, you think that that’s her candle? No. You don’t understand. She’ll live. You’ve seen to that. Her candle is already in good shape. This is your candle. You started out kind of handicapped in that regard. Sorry.
DAVID
You mean that’s all I have left? Maybe a few minutes? And you didn’t mess with it because you’re mad at me? That’s really the way it is?
MORRIE
That’s right.
DAVID
Any, uh, chance of an…extension?
MORRIE
When you’ve crossed my will a second time, after I’d warned you?
DAVID
I didn’t do it lightly. You kriow how I feel about Betty. There was no real choice. I had to save her. Perhaps such emotions are something you can’t quite understand.
MORRIE
(frowns, then laughs)
Of course I can understand caring about something! Why do you think I’d decided to take Governor Caisson right when I did? The son of a bitch’s business policies had just cost the town a pro football franchise—for one of my favorite teams. And I’d been angling to get them here for decades.
DAVID
So you were grabbing him off early?
MORRIE
You bet I was! Then you had to butt in for the first time in your life.
DAVID
I begin to understand…Say, Morrie, you know it’s not too late to transfer my flame to a fresh candle.
MORRIE
True. And you are my godson. That still counts for something.
(He stares at the candle)
Probably should. Shouldn’t stay mad forever. Family counts for something.
He stoops and reaches into an opened case back in a recess in the wall. As he does so, DAVID withdraws his left hand from his pocket and reaches forward, touching the failing candle. Drawing forth a fresh candle, MORRIE stands and reaches forward with his other hand toward DAVID’s sputtering taper. He touches it, begins to raise it. Then it slips from his fingers and plunges to the ground.
MORRIE
Shit! Sorry, David!
[Candle goes out. Fade.]
SCENE 2
Lights come up on same scene. MORRIE is no longer there. DAVID is lying on his stomach on the floor. DOREL stands nearby. DAVID raises his head, looks about. He places his palms on the floor and pushes himself up. A candle stub is guttering beside him.
DOREL
Get a candle out of the box, Dave! Hurry! You’ve got to take the flame from the other before it dies again! Never saw one come back on again the way yours did.
DAVID reaches for a small item lying beside the candle, picks up his Five Minute Time Warp. He had activated it when he touched the candle earlier.
DAVID
I knew I’d find a use for the Five Minute Time Warp one day!
With his other hand, DAVID gropes in the carton, takes our a candle, moves it to a position above the failing flame and holds it there. The fresh candle catches the flame. He turns the candle upright and rises to his feet.
DOREL
I want to take you to another tunnel where we can hide your candle amid many. We ought to hurry, in case he’s still in the area.
DAVID walks with DOREL, carrying his candle.
DAVID
Could you locate Betty’s candle, too?
DOREL
Given the time, the appropriate form and the access.
(They continue walking down another tunnel)
I used to work here. I was an invisible entity before he made me a bike. IfI were an invisible entity here again I could keep moving your candle and Betty’s so that he’d never know. I could correct any number of his petty abuses the way I used to. Might keep lighting you new ones, too, if you got into bleafage research.
DAVID
I could be persuaded. What would it take to make you an invisible entity again?
DOREL
I’m not permitted to say.
DAVID
Even if I order you?
DOREL
Even then. This is a different category of restriction. I can’t think of a way to tell you how to get around this one.
They move a little farther down the tunnel and stop.
DOREL
To your left, in that low niche where several others are burning.
DAVID dribbles a
DAVID
It was worth trying. I love her, you know.
MORRIE
(chuckles)
Oh, you think that that’s her candle? No. You don’t understand. She’ll live. You’ve seen to that. Her candle is already in good shape. This is your candle. You started out kind of handicapped in that regard. Sorry.
DAVID
You mean that’s all I have left? Maybe a few minutes? And you didn’t mess with it because you’re mad at me? That’s really the way it is?
MORRIE
That’s right.
DAVID
Any, uh, chance of an…extension?
MORRIE
When you’ve crossed my will a second time, after I’d warned you?
DAVID
I didn’t do it lightly. You kriow how I feel about Betty. There was no real choice. I had to save her. Perhaps such emotions are something you can’t quite understand.
MORRIE
(frowns, then laughs)
Of course I can understand caring about something! Why do you think I’d decided to take Governor Caisson right when I did? The son of a bitch’s business policies had just cost the town a pro football franchise—for one of my favorite teams. And I’d been angling to get them here for decades.
DAVID
So you were grabbing him off early?
MORRIE
You bet I was! Then you had to butt in for the first time in your life.
DAVID
I begin to understand…Say, Morrie, you know it’s not too late to transfer my flame to a fresh candle.
MORRIE
True. And you are my godson. That still counts for something.
(He stares at the candle)
Probably should. Shouldn’t stay mad forever. Family counts for something.
He stoops and reaches into an opened case back in a recess in the wall. As he does so, DAVID withdraws his left hand from his pocket and reaches forward, touching the failing candle. Drawing forth a fresh candle, MORRIE stands and reaches forward with his other hand toward DAVID’s sputtering taper. He touches it, begins to raise it. Then it slips from his fingers and plunges to the ground.
MORRIE
Shit! Sorry, David!
[Candle goes out. Fade.]
SCENE 2
Lights come up on same scene. MORRIE is no longer there. DAVID is lying on his stomach on the floor. DOREL stands nearby. DAVID raises his head, looks about. He places his palms on the floor and pushes himself up. A candle stub is guttering beside him.
DOREL
Get a candle out of the box, Dave! Hurry! You’ve got to take the flame from the other before it dies again! Never saw one come back on again the way yours did.
DAVID reaches for a small item lying beside the candle, picks up his Five Minute Time Warp. He had activated it when he touched the candle earlier.
DAVID
I knew I’d find a use for the Five Minute Time Warp one day!
With his other hand, DAVID gropes in the carton, takes our a candle, moves it to a position above the failing flame and holds it there. The fresh candle catches the flame. He turns the candle upright and rises to his feet.
DOREL
I want to take you to another tunnel where we can hide your candle amid many. We ought to hurry, in case he’s still in the area.
DAVID walks with DOREL, carrying his candle.
DAVID
Could you locate Betty’s candle, too?
DOREL
Given the time, the appropriate form and the access.
(They continue walking down another tunnel)
I used to work here. I was an invisible entity before he made me a bike. IfI were an invisible entity here again I could keep moving your candle and Betty’s so that he’d never know. I could correct any number of his petty abuses the way I used to. Might keep lighting you new ones, too, if you got into bleafage research.
DAVID
I could be persuaded. What would it take to make you an invisible entity again?
DOREL
I’m not permitted to say.
DAVID
Even if I order you?
DOREL
Even then. This is a different category of restriction. I can’t think of a way to tell you how to get around this one.
They move a little farther down the tunnel and stop.
DOREL
To your left, in that low niche where several others are burning.
DAVID dribbles a
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