Landscape with Weapon by Joe Penhall

Author:Joe Penhall
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2011-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Act Two

One

Aircraft factory.

Ross has a contract. Ned is standing around, nervous.

The ear-splitting roar of a jet engine is heard outside.

They wait for the noise to subside.

Ross It’s OK, I understand. You think you’ve had some kind of epiphany and now you’re pure … You believe … It’s not about dirty filthy lucre … and so on …

Ned It’s not about money.

Ross How much do you want?

Ned (beat) It’s not about that.

Ross Well, if we start making this, somebody’s going to make a lot of money.

Ned I don’t give a shit about the money.

Ross Well, you should, because apart from anything else this factory is one of the biggest employers in the country. Like it or not, defence is a growth industry. The local area around here is depending on us for millions of pounds’ worth of regeneration – no, listen – just as it did after the Second World War when the country was in ruins. This whole neighbourhood was in ruins, in fact. If you renege on us and the bottom falls out of the market, I hope you’re prepared to explain yourself to the community …

Ned Well … I’m sorry about the neighbourhood, but it’s what I believe is right.

Ross It’s not right, it’s just selfish. We have bills to pay. Taxes to pay. Wages to distribute. You have responsibilities to your colleagues and to your family and to yourself. What will you do if we stop now? You’ll go mad. You won’t be able to live with yourself. It’s my future too. I have a family to feed. I have children. School fees. A mortgage. This is my livelihood. This is normal life for normal people trying to do an honest day’s work and just make ends meet.

Pause.

Ned I’m sorry but I can’t … in all good conscience –

Ross Don’t talk to me about your ‘conscience’ … That’s just moral exhibitionism.

Ned What do you expect me to –

Ross We have an IP –

Ned Do you want me to lie?

Ross We have an IP –

Ned And say, ‘Good idea, well done’ –

Ross – Lawyer –

Ned ‘A blow for the free market?’

Ross – who has asked me –

Ned I’m not interested in your lawyer –

Ross – to point out, if –

Ned I can’t sign that.

Ross – if –

Ned I’ve changed my mind.

Ross – if you read your employment contract, you will see that under the conditions of your employment you are required to make ‘best endeavours’ to get projects financed. Best endeav—

Ned This is ridic—

Ross Not ‘reasonable endeavours’. Not, you’ll ‘think about it’. Or you’ve ‘changed your mind’.

Ned This is different. I think we should go back to the drawing board. Talk to the French or the Germans.

Ross Well – you see – OK – well – we can’t. Because – let me explain – if it weren’t for this funding, if we don’t start manufacture next year, there will be no ‘drawing board’. Your ideas will be worthless. And … if it weren’t for this government and our partnership with the Americans you would have no acolytes and no support.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.