Haze

Characters (in their twenties):

• The Inquisitor

• Ralph, Master of Rules

• Morgan, Master of Arms

• Simon Jindal, a Pledge

• Antonio Chen, a Pledge

• Eugene Maceo, a Pledge

• The Tattooed Oracle / A Dancer

Setting

Time and Place: Now. Near a quarry in a college town.

The lights come up slowly on Antonio Chen and Eugene Maceo locked in pillory stocks, facing the audience, their heads covered with black hoods. Birds chirp. A wheelbarrow of torture devices sits at the rear of the stage. A military drum is on the ground near Antonio and Eugene. The splashing sounds of Ralph and Morgan diving into the quarry. Antonio and Eugene struggle to break free from the stocks. The birds stop chirping. Antonio and Eugene freeze.

Ralph and Morgan run on stage; both wear swim trunks, water dripping off them. Morgan rolls the wheelbarrow to the front of the stage. Ralph goes to the wheelbarrow, unties a bundle of switches, and takes one out. He walks over and does a mock thrashing of Antonio and Eugene, grinning.

Ralph:

They call me Torquemada’s son, and that’s all you need to know about my pedigree. (A grand sweep of his arms.) You see, this little gala is arranged for you. (Antonio and Eugene shift in the stocks.) Do I sense a slight protest? (Pause) Look, you asked for this! Did we run begging at your door?! (Pause) Damn, I get so incensed when initiates attempt to wriggle out of a grand deal with the higher powers.

Morgan shakes his head.

Morgan:

Hathor, have mercy on these two.

Ralph:

It’s hard to trust a man who’d shed his skin easy as a snake.

Morgan:

But there’s gonna be a hot damn time in the old hoedown this evenin’.

Ralph:

(glances at his watch) Especially if Simon doesn’t get his ass back here on the dot.

Morgan:

Maybe we should’ve dispatched him on that mission.

Ralph:

We?

Morgan:

Yeah.

Ralph:

You!

Morgan:

We’re brothers, Ralph.

Ralph:

No, it was your harebrained idea.

Morgan:

Are you sure, pighead?

Ralph:

You out rank me.

Morgan:

A spur of the moment thing.

Ralph:

It’s all about power, Morgan.

Morgan:

I’m the most caring guy in our little autocratic club.

Ralph:

You can’t be serious.

Morgan:

When Simon gets back he’s almost full-fledged.

Ralph:

It didn’t have to happen now.

Morgan:

We put that boy through the wringer.

Ralph:

One step at a time down a long road, that’s my motto.

Morgan:

He’s almost one of us.

Ralph:

Almost is almost big as if.

Morgan:

We have to work together.

Ralph:

That’s exactly my point.

Ralph walks over to the wheelbarrow and pulls out two squirt cans; he gives one to Morgan, and both squirt milky water on to the heads of Antonio and Eugene.

Morgan:

This is maggot shit.

Ralph:

And maggot shit begets other maggots.

Morgan:

A fucking whole maggot horde.

Ralph:

How good is your imagination?

Morgan:

When does the silent eating—the devouring begin?

Ralph:

Brother, haven’t you heard?

Morgan:

Huh?

Ralph:

There’s no time in limbo.

Morgan:

But maggots say there’s alchemy in the spheres.

Simon runs on the stage, in blackface, clutching a large purse. He falls to the ground.

Simon:

(overly dramatic) No more! Never again!

Ralph:

Good Lord, boy, at least try to stay inside your skin.

Simon:

This is it!

Morgan:

Another fucking plebe.

Morgan and Ralph stand there, nodding their heads.

Simon:

She looks like my mom.

Ralph:

Another tenderfoot.

Simon:

Why do we have to be brutes?

Morgan:

Are you getting soft?

Ralph:

Anything soft makes me hard.

Simon:

Her eyes.

Ralph:

And merciless.

Simon:

She looks like mom. (Pause) Ten years older.

Ralph:

That’s your problem.

Simon:

We could feed the homeless or something.

Ralph:

We’re putting pepper in the eggnog.

Morgan grabs the purse from Simon; he rifles through it, tossing items to the ground.

Morgan:

Damn, look at this booty.

Ralph:

We could steal from the rich and give to the poor.

Simon:

She...