The Great Carbuncle Read online

HANNAH

  No, Matthew! Stop it!

  CACAPHODEL

  Yes, please stop this now! It won't benefit our situation in the least.

  CHILLINGWORTH

  You've asserted your dominance! Nothing more can be gained!

  Beat.

  MATTHEW

  Okay. (to SEEKER and PIGGSNORTO) You listen, and you listen good. All of you better listen good. Tomorrow, we're all looking for another way home, and we ain't staying another minute in these woods. I don't care if the Great Carbuncle shines down and shows us the way right to it. We are not staying here another damn minute! You hear me? I said you hear me?!

  SEEKER

  Yes.

  MATTHEW

  And you?

  PIGGSNORTO

  Yeah, yeah, yeah...

  HANNAH

  (to MATTHEW) Honey, let's go to our tent.

  Beat.

  HANNAH

  Please?

  MATTHEW

  Sure. (to ALL) I'm going to my tent. The next man who makes noise, I'm going to hit him so hard, his grandkid's heads will be lopsided.

  MATTHEW and HANNAH exit.

  SEEKER and PIGGSNORTO stare at one another for a moment and then sit as far away as possible around the remaining OTHERS.

  JOHN

  He...shouldn't have...resorted to violence.

  DE VERE

  Which pugilists are up next? I'd like to place a bet or two.

  Beat.

  SEEKER

  I'll tell you one thing, that boy can hit.

  PIGGSNORTO

  He's not so tough.

  CHILLINGWORTH

  He seems to be.

  PIGGSNORTO

  That was a sucker punch. I'd kill him if he fought me fair.

  CACAPHODEL

  He's a war veteran from this country's most gruesome war yet. Who knows what he's capable of?

  PIGGSNORTO

  Probably steal the Great Carbuncle if he ever got his hands on it.

  SEEKER

  Maybe.

  CHILLINGWORTH

  He does have a soldier's survival instincts.

  PIGGSNORTO

  If I saw it, I'd keep him from his cut of the gem, just to show him who's boss.

  ALL make mumbled, agreeing remarks. Suddenly, a red glow slowly becomes brighter and brighter.

  SEEKER

  What the hell?

  The sun dims as if eclipsed and thunder can be heard in the distance. ALL present stand and focus on the source of the light. JOHN and DE VERE seem to magically heal as THEY observe this phenomena, as if THEIR clothes dry immediately.

  As the glow increases, so does the thunder until a large, unexplainable crackle of power reverberates throughout the mountains. THEY are almost blown back by the power of it. Then, the glow fades away and all returns to normal.

  PIGGSNORTO

  What was...did you...

  Beat.

  SEEKER

  (whispered) The Great Carbuncle.

  MATTHEW enters.

  MATTHEW

  What was that sound? You men starting something up again?

  JOHN

  It...we saw--

  DE VERE

  It was the thunder. Seems like our little storm has a few rumbles left in it.

  MATTHEW

  Oh. Well, that's okay. Nice to see you're feeling better.

  DE VERE

  Thank you for your concern.

  MATTHEW exits.

  JOHN

  Why didn't you tell him?

  CACAPHODEL

  What would we tell him? I'm not exactly sure what we just experienced.

  PIGGSNORTO

  The Great Carbuncle. That's what it was.

  CHILLINGWORTH

  That's impossible.