The Fifth Column

Act Three Scene Four

Same as Act I, Scene III, but it is late afternoon.

As the curtain rises, you see the two rooms. DOROTHY BRIDGES’ room is dark. PHILIP’s is lighted, with the curtains drawn. PHILIP is lying face down on the bed. ANITA is sitting on a chair by the bed.

ANITA. Philip!

PHILIP. [Not turning or looking toward her] What’s the matter?

ANITA. Please, Philip.

PHILIP. Please bloody what?

ANITA. Where is whiskey?

PHILIP. Under the bed.

ANITA. Thank you.

[She looks under the bed. Then crawls part way under]

No find.

PHILIP. Try the closet then. Somebody’s been in here cleaning up again.

ANITA. [Goes to the closet and opens it. She looks carefully inside] Is all empty bottles.

PHILIP. You’re just a little discoverer. Come here. ANITA. I want find a whiskey.

PHILIP. Look in the night table.

[ANITA goes over to the night table by the bed and opens the door — she brings out a bottle of whiskey. Goes for a glass into the bathroom, and pours a whiskey into it and adds water from the carafe by the bed]

ANITA. Philip. Drink this feel better.

[PHILIP sits up and looks at her]

PHILIP. Hello, Black Beauty. How did you get in here?

ANITA. From the pass key.

PHILIP. Well.

ANITA. I no see you. I plenty worried. I come here they say you inside. I knock door no answer. I knock more. No answer. I say open me up with the pass key.

PHILIP. And they did?

ANITA. I said you sent for me.

PHILIP. Did I?

ANITA. No.

PHILIP. Thoughtful of you to come though.

ANITA. Philip you still that big blonde?

PHILIP. I don’t know. I’m sort of mixed up about that. Things are getting sort of complicated. Every night I ask her to marry me, and every morning I tell her I don’t mean it. I think, probably, things can’t go on like that. No. They can’t go on like that.

[ANITA sits down by him and pats his head and smooths his hair back]

ANITA. You feel plenty bad. I know.

PHILIP. Want me to tell you a secret?

ANITA. Yes.

PHILIP. I never felt worse.

ANITA. Is a disappoint. Was think you tell how you catch all the people of the Fifth Column.

PHILIP. I didn’t catch them. Only caught one man. Disgusting specimen he was, too.

[There is a knock on the door. It is the MANAGER]

MANAGER. Excuse profoundly if disturbation —

PHILIP. Keep it clean you know. There’s ladies present.

MANAGER. I mean only to enter and see if every thing in order. Control possible actions of young lady in case your absence or incapacity. Also desire offer sincerest warmest greetings congratulations admirable performance feat of counterespionage resulting announcement evening papers arrest three hundred members Fifth Column.

PHILIP. That’s in the paper?

MANAGER. With details of arrestations of every type of reprehensible engaged in shooting, plotting assassinations — sabotaging, communicating with enemy, every form of delights.

PHILIP. Of delights?

MANAGER. Is a French word, spells out D-E-L-I-T-S, meaning offenses.

PHILIP. And that’s all in the paper?

MANAGER.…