January 29 Play: LADYGRAY AND QUICKSILVER

29: LADYGRAY AND QUICKSILVER - by Ed Valentine
© January 29, 2010 * ed@edvalentine.com

LIGHTS: Low. Not much visible outside the circle. LADYGRAY sits in a chair. Haggard, a rotting wedding gown.

LADYGRAY: Where are you?
-
Where?
-
Come and show yourself, I say.
-

VOICE: All in good time.
(Silvery laugh.)

LADYGRAY: You are here, then?

QUICKSILVER: Oh yes. We who are here not here both greet and curse.

LADYGRAY: Why curse?

QUICKSILVER: Because you have what we lack. And we hate thee.

LADYGRAY: Then why also greet?

QUICKSILVER: Because we love thee.
And revere thee.
And pity thee.

LADYGRAY: Why pity.

QUICKSILVER: Is it not clear?

LADYGRAY: No.

QUICKSILVER: It will be.
(Silvery laugh again.)

LADYGRAY: Show yourself.
Show yourself!

QUICKSILVER: No, not to you.
But to them.

LADYGRAY: Who?

QUICKSILVER: The watchers who see.

LADYGRAY: See?

QUICKSILVER: See thee.

(LADYGRAY strains to see us.)

LADYGRAY: This is news. There are others, others watching?

QUICKSILVER: Yes.

LADYGRAY: Watching? Watching me?

QUICKSILVER: Oh, yes.

LADYGRAY: Can I see them?

QUICKSILVER: No.

LADYGRAY: Let me see you. Can I see you?

QUICKSILVER: No.
(QUICKSILVER emerges from the darkness just behind LADYGRAY.)
But they can.

LADYGRAY: Let me –

QUICKSILVER: Do not turn around.
-
We who are about to live again salute you. Kiss me.
Kiss me.

(QUICKSILVER kisses LADYGRAY. LADYGRAY tenses, gives in, falls asleep. Or dies, perhaps.)

Goodnight. Angel flights. Rest.

(QUICKSILVER looks out at us. Lights fade.)


END OF PLAY.