Mad Blood Stirring by Simon Mayo

Author:Simon Mayo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Transworld
Published: 2018-04-18T16:00:00+00:00

3.19

The Agent’s Study

SHORTLAND: Good morning to you, Mr Crafus.

KING DICK: My name is King Dick.

SHORTLAND: Not in this room. I have only one king, King George.

KING DICK: ‘In England a king has little more to do than to make war and give away places.’ (Shortland looks puzzled.) It’s Thomas Paine, Captain. We all read him back home.

SHORTLAND: But I thought you like crowned ruffians. You’re a crowned ruffian. Isn’t King George one of your ‘unaccountable sovereigns’?

KING DICK: Not if he’s mad, he ain’t. And you’d choose a crazy fool of a king over me? No wonder this war gone so badly for you.

SHORTLAND: This war has gone badly for both of us. Thousands dead, so many ships sunk, your White House burned to the ground and the peace treaty says, ‘No change.’ It says, ‘As you were.’ But it is done, and the treaty is ratified by your Congress at last. Here. (He hands King Dick a document.) It says here that the Senate voted unanimously for ratification.

KING DICK (reads, then reads aloud): ‘The Senate do advise and consent to the ratification of the treaty of peace and amity between the United States of America and his Britannic Majesty.’ Well, that is good of them, and good news o’ course. We can all go home.

SHORTLAND: Once the treaty has been returned to London, the measures for your return will be put in place. You must tell your men. They will have to be patient, I’m afraid. (Sighs deeply.) Can I offer you tea? I might have a pipe of tobacco here …

KING DICK: There somethin’ else you wanted with me, Captain? Only I warned you ’bout the mood here and you didn’t take no notice or nothin’, so I don’t exactly see the point. Mr Ned Penny, murdered in your prison, Captain, and on your watch. Mr John Haywood, hidin’ in Four and ’fraid for his life.

SHORTLAND (stops rummaging and fussing): I take counsel and then I make my decision, Mr Crafus. This is not a committee. I have expressed my regret at the circumstances of Mr Penny’s death; a suspect is in the cachot, awaiting trial. Mr Haywood’s relocation was vital for his safety, and that is that, Mr Crafus. I am grateful for your cooperation.

KING DICK: You got the wrong man in that hole, jus’ so you know. There’s two Rough Allies gettin’ away with murder.

SHORTLAND: He will do. For now. (The words trigger a memory.) The words you used in your eulogy for Mr Penny, I believe. You said you supported me ‘for now’.

KING DICK: I was bein’ generous. There was many there that night woulda taken up arms if they’d had the means. You know that. I will bring the killers to you. You’d be wise to arrest ’em.

SHORTLAND: You forget your place. (King Dick remains impassive; Shortland becomes more awkward.) Now, on other matters. (He shuffles some papers.) You’re in charge of this play? The Romeo and Juliet I’ve been hearing about?

KING DICK (not surprised): You heard ’bout that?

SHORTLAND: Of course.

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