Scotch by Firelight

[Harry Strong, editor of The Manchester Sentinel is hard at work, editing the next edition.
  He looks over his reporters' stories, mad with the imperfection. He ravenously smokes a
  seemingly never-ending cigar and dons a three-day-old five o'clock shadow, occasionally
  taking a swig of his scotch and soda nearby.]


Harry:   Crap! Crap I say! Not a damn writer in the lot o' them!
             [Begins scribbling something on the paper.]
             If ... I wanted ... crap ... I would ... have ... taken a...
             [The office door slams open as Margo charges into the room.]
Margo   What's the big idea puttin' the Titano story on page two?! That's a cherry, a real
             peach! Why, Lucy said it was the best one I ever did. It's a great story, a flippin'
             humdinger, Harry. You gotta' put it on the front page.
Harry:   Sorry, Margo, no picture? No page. You know the rules.
Margo:  [Softer now] Come on, Harry! For old times' sake? Please, Harry?
             [Margo sits on the desk giving him sexy, puppy dog eyes.]
Harry:    Been there, done that, the book's on the shelf, Dollface. You want front page?
             Get me an exclusive. What's his real name? What's his shoe size? Does he
             prefer boxers or whitey-tighties? And for pete's sake, what the [Louder] hell
             does he look like?!
Margo:  Fine. You want a picture? Picture me walking over to Tommy Seville at the
             Dispatch. 'Sposin I drop it on his desk, ya know, by accident.
Harry:    I'd be 'sposin, then, that page three is where you belong, Dollface.
Margo:  You know you're a real creep, Harry.
Harry:    [Stands and leans over the desk in Margo's face.]
             How about we discuss the front page tonight over dinner, Margo? Antonio's
             sound ok to you? Then later I can show you why they call me 'Headstrong
             Harry'.
Margo:  Nice try, Harold,...
             [Walks into the doorway and turns around]
             But from what I hear, it's just hairy, and not so strong, old man!
             [Slams the door as she walks out]
Harry:    [Takes a drink] Bah!
             [Enter Finn]
Finn:      Boss!
Harry:    Damnit, Finn! I thought I told you to never interrupt me while I'm drinking.
Finn:      But, Boss, you're always drinking!
Harry:    And you're still here?
Finn:      But there's a forty-foot gorilla attacking the police station!
Harry:    My god, man! Now, that is what I call news! Finny, ole boy, go tell Margo
              she has one hour. Tell her, get me some damned pictures.
Finn:      On it!
             [Exit Finn]
Harry:   [Takes a drink; crunches on the ice while peering through the blinds]
             An hour before the world might end, and I'm out of Scotch. Well, at least
             I know where I'm headin', and the top of the stairs sits just outside my
             door. What luck! A slap on the tail comin' in, and a kick in the pants
             on the way out. What luck, I tell ya'!
             [Enter Officer]
Officer:  You all right up in 'ere, Mistah' Strong?
Harry:    Yeah...no, hey, could ya do me a favor?
Officer:   Shore' Mistah' Strong! Anything! Just name it.
Harry:    Would one of ya' mind running up the street and getting me a bottle?
              I'd do it myself and all, but....you know. Gotta wait here for my guys to
              come home, right?
Officer:   Oh, no, Mistah' Strong. We're not allowed to do anything like that. Why,
               if the Capt'n ever heard I bought liquor while I was on duty...boy! He'd
               go crazy and, ...and tear my eyes out or somethin'!
Harry:     I don't think he'll be mindin' today...uhh, what'd you say your name was?
Officer:   Daryl, sir, Mistah' Strong. Daryl Wincott.
Harry:     Well, Daryl, did you hear that crash earlier? [Daryl nods.] Well, if it happened
               this close, then that means that big ape made it through your buddies and he's
               probably heading this way. Ya' follow?
Officer:   [Daryl first nods "no", but then realizes the huge gorilla is coming]
              Oh, golly, Mistah Strong! We got to get outta here!
Harry:     Thaaaaaaaaat's right, Daryl. But first, you're going to go to the liquor store
               for me. [Harry fumbles for cash in his pocket] There's six....six dollars. That
               ought to be enough. Thanks Daryl! You're going to win a medal, ya's know
               that? If we get out of this, I'm gonna' put you in the paper!
Officer:    Really? Oh, that'd be swell! [Swells with pride]
Harry:     You betcha' Daryl! Now, go get me that bottle of Scotch!
Officer:    I will, Mistah' Strong! I'll be right back!
               [Exit Officer]
Harry:     Geez! The apocalypse is here and I just bribed a cop to get me some booze.
              God Bless America, eh? Duality wins again!
              [Looks through the blinds as a large crash can be heard]
              Well, damn, Daryl! You could have at least put up some kind of fight!
              [Another crash rings out followed by a loud roar]
              Well, on second thought, maybe not. That way you ended up under it rather
              than inside it, Daryl.
              [Holds up the last of his glass of ice]
              Here's to Daryl: loyal to the end even if it took some coaxing along the way.
              May he end up in a better place than I.
              [Crunches the ice and slides the glass onto the desk]
              Damn, he owes me six bucks, that dyin' bastard!
              [Yelling at the window]
              Daryl, you lazy sunuvabitch, quit lying down on the job! I want my money
              back! All six bucks of it!
              [Enter Margo as the door slams open; Margo's dress is torn to shreds and her
              body shows signs of bruising. The soot of fires has stained her body and clothes,
              and she is enraged.]
Harry:    Margo!
Margo:  Harry, you son of a bitch, you. You wanted pictures? Well, I got your damn
             pictures! [Throws a set of photographs at Harry who ducks]
Harry:   Margo? What's wrong, baby? You look tense! Try to calm down. Have a glass
            of...umm..ya know what, no scotch. Just rest, baby.
            [Harry goes over and pulls out a chair for her]
Margo: Harry?
Harry:   [Timidly] Margo?
Margo:  [Slaps him across the face] That's for the pictures.
             [Pulls his hair ripping a lock from his scalp]
             And that's for the forty-foot gorilla nobody mentioned beforehand!
Harry:    Oww! What're you? Crazy? I sent Finn down to catch you! Didn't
             he tell you?
Margot: I never saw Finn, Harry! Do I look like I saw Finn? Look at me, Harry, goddamnit!
             [Taking a breath and calming herself]
             Harry?
Harry:   Margot? [This time Harry winces and backs away]
Margot: If we get out of this alive, I'm going to kill you.
Harry:   [Makes a disgusted face as he stares at her for a moment and then returns to look
             out the window. Margot seems to drift out of consciousness in the chair. Harry,
             once again, finds himself alone. The scene ends with another loud crash from the
             streets outside as Harry stares into space, aiming his gaze out the window.]

             [End Scene I]
             [Fade to Black]