right, George. Iâm glad to know there are such superior girls in the Bingo Parlors.âHenry, whatâs that?
Pointing at the storm signal, which has one black disk.
HENRY:
What is it, Papa?
ANTROBUS:
What? Oh, thatâs the storm signal. One of those black disks means bad weather; two means storm; three means hurricane; and four means the end of the world.
As they watch it a second black disk rolls into place.
MRS. ANTROBUS:
Goodness! Iâm going this very minute to buy you all some raincoats.
GLADYS:
Putting her cheek against her fatherâs shoulder.
Mama, donât go yet. I like sitting this way. And the ocean coming in and coming in. Papa, donât you like it?
MRS. ANTROBUS:
Well, thereâs only one thing I lack to make me a perfectly happy woman: Iâd like to see a whale.
HENRY:
Mama, we saw two. Right out there. Theyâre delegates to the convention. Iâll find you one.
GLADYS:
Papa, ask me something. Ask me a question.
ANTROBUS:
Well . . . how bigâs the ocean?
GLADYS:
Papa, youâre teasing me. Itâsâthree-hundred and sixty million square-milesâandâitâcoversâthree-fourthsâofâtheâ earthâsâsurfaceâandâitsâdeepest-placeâisâfiveâandâaâhalfâmilesâdeepâandâitsâaverageâdepthâisâtwelveâthousandâfeet. No, Papa, ask me something hard, real hard.
MRS. ANTROBUS:
Rising.
Now Iâm going off to buy those raincoats. I think that bad weatherâs going to get worse and worse. I hope it doesnât come before your broadcast. I should think we have about an hour or so.
HENRY:
I hope it comes and zzzzzz everything before it. I hope itâ
MRS. ANTROBUS:
Henry!âGeorge, I think . . . maybe, itâs one of those storms that are just as bad on land as on the sea. When youâre just as safe and safer in a good stout boat.
HENRY:
Thereâs a boat out at the end of the pier.
MRS. ANTROBUS:
Well, keep your eye on it. George, you shut your eyes and get a good rest before the broadcast.
ANTROBUS:
Thundering Judas, do I have to be told when to open and shut my eyes? Go and buy your raincoats.
MRS. ANTROBUS:
Now, children, you have ten minutes to walk around. Ten minutes. And, Henry: control yourself. Gladys, stick by your brother and donât get lost.
They run off.
MRS. ANTROBUS:
Will you be all right, George?
CONVEENERS suddenly stick their heads out of the Bingo Parlor and Salt Water Taffy store, and voices rise from the orchestra pit.
CONVEENERS:
George. Geo-r-r-rge! George! Leave the old hen-coop at home, George. Do-mes-ticated Georgie!
MRS. ANTROBUS:
Shaking her umbrella.
Low common oafs! Thatâs what they are. Guess a man has a right to bring his wife to a convention, if he wants to.
She starts off.
Whatâs the matter with a family, Iâd like to know. What else have they got to offer?
Exit. ANTROBUS has closed his eyes. The FORTUNE TELLER comes out of her shop and goes over to the left proscenium. She leans against it watching SABINA quizzically.
FORTUNE TELLER:
Heh! Here she comes!
SABINA:
Loud whisper.
Whatâs he doing?
FORTUNE TELLER:
Oh, heâs ready for you. Bite your lips, dear, take a long breath and come on up.
SABINA:
Iâm nervous. My whole future depends on this. Iâm nervous.
FORTUNE TELLER:
Donât be a fool. What more could you want? Heâs forty-five. His headâs a little dizzy. Heâs just been elected president. Heâs never known any other woman than his wife. Whenever he looks at her he realizes that she knows every foolish thing heâs ever done.
SABINA:
Still whispering.
I donât know why it is, but every time I start one of these Iâm nervous.
The FORTUNE TELLER stands in the center of the stage watching the following:
FORTUNE TELLER:
You make me tired.
SABINA:
First tell me my fortune.
The
Jefferson Bass
Sue Grafton
Rachel Vincent
R. E. Butler
Jayne Ann Krentz
Stella Riley
Katy Newton Naas
Meljean Brook
Melissa Shaw
Maya Angelou