America Finding Her Way

troll king rolls out of his cave.

  Jimbo: Damn women.

  Kat: Just taking my lunch hour, sweetie.

  Brad: (Shoving his empty glass forward) Benny. Lay me one again.

  Dove: Little early in the day, love?

  Brad: I'm on the move.

  Jimbo: Gimme a beer, Benny. I'll have my lunch too.

  Kat: How's Sally today?

  Brad: (Glaring at Kat) Sleeping. Why didn't you tell her, Jimbo?

  Jimbo: Tell her what?

  Kat: Something about a little brown doe you came across?

  Jimbo: (Pales, looks at Brad, blusters) Can't trust women with hunting stories, Brad...

  Kat: Oh, no?

  Brad: Fine juicy doe like that?

  Jimbo: (Warning) Ah– Brad?

  (Faye and Teddy are coming in)

  Teddy: Hey, lot's loaded with pickups. How'd you all get out so early?

  Jimbo: Time you got in here. Brad's got a head start. We gotta corral the bastard.

  Kat: He's just hot to get back up the mountain.

  Jimbo: Aw, give it a rest.

  Faye: Hi Kat. Hi everybody.

  Brad: (Laughing) What's the matter, Jimbo?

  Jimbo: I'm getting too old for hunting, man.

  Teddy: Needs a long rest. Not about to hump that baby again. Hey honey, can I tell 'em? (Squeezes Faye)

  Faye: (Grins, but evades– ) Heard Sally's better, huh Brad?

  (Brad looks at Faye, dead-faced)

  Teddy: Aw, let me tell 'em, will you?

  Brad: (Springing) How about I tell the gals our deer hunt story, Teddy?

  Teddy: What deer hunt?

  Jimbo: Brad...

  Brad: ...about that juicy doe we found.

  Teddy: (Paling) What?

  Kat: So tell it, Brad.

  Jimbo: I'm taking you home, Brad. You got a touch of fever.

  Teddy: Could be poison from the claw rakes.

  Faye: Well, where is this doe? Why aren’t we packing her into the freezer?

  Jimbo: Come on home. Lena'll fix you up.

  Brad: (Lurching away) I tried that! I got no home!

  Teddy: Jeezuz.

  Brad: And you won't either! (He sucks in air, then coos at Kat and Faye) See, we got this little doe zeroed in the sights. Teddy had my rifle. And then we just spread out a little, and started to close in. Right, guys? She looked up, kinda bewildered, and we could almost taste her.

  Teddy: (Terrified) My god, he's lost it.

  Kat: Let him tell it! What'd you do?

  Faye: Teddy took her, didn't he.

  (Jimbo has Brad by the arm, shoves him to end of bar. Teddy follows, blocking women. Kat watches, suspicious. Faye and Dove buzz together, amused at boys-show)

  Jimbo: What the hell's wrong with you!

  Brad: She came down. I saw her. Little doe came down from the mountain. Come to haunt you. You're going to see her everywhere.

  Jimbo: Get a hold on, Brad.

  Brad: Thought you'd take a dip and come out clean, didn't you? But it sticks. And it spreads. She'll touch everything that's yours. Everything you got. I'm just trying to protect you. Give the girls the word 'fore that doe walks in here to skewer you.

  Jimbo: What you saying? You saw the squaw?

  Brad: At my house! How long's it take to walk from there to here? That's all the time you got.

  Teddy: Oh God.

  Brad: Damn you, Teddy, it's your fault! I tried to stop you. Now we're dead: she's here!

  Teddy: Did she tell Lena?

  Jimbo: Did she know you?

  Brad: She knew me. Shoulda seen her face.

  Jimbo: Christ. Then Lena knows.

  Teddy: What can we do?!

  Jimbo: She can't name us, if she don't see us.

  Teddy: You're dreaming. If she told Lena...

  Brad: I'm outta here. That's all.

  Jimbo: I'm not staying for this.

  Teddy: Who's gonna listen to an Indian?

  Brad: Expect your little bride'll laugh it off?

  Teddy: Jeezuz!

  Jimbo: Girls don't get what goes on in the wild, Teddy.

  Brad: (Lunging toward door) You guys coming?

  Kat: Coming where?

  Jimbo: (Bravado) Can't let Blood White whup us! S'get some grenades. Cream the bastard.

  (Teddy's glance slides guiltily to Faye)

  Faye: (Uneasy) Wait a minute. What are you talking?

  Jimbo: Blood White's plopped down on your brand new rifle, Teddy.

  Faye: (Plants herself in Teddy's way) You promised, Teddy. Never again.

  Teddy: Baby, I...

  Brad: (Turning in door, taunts) We climb that mountain again, Teddy'll wet his pants.

  Teddy: (Grabs Brad) You're crocked, or I'd kill you.

  Kat: Nobody's going anywhere. Just what's going on?

  Brad: Big brave hunter. Nails a little doe.

  Teddy: (Pounding Brad) That's it!!

  Ben: That's enough!

  Brad: (Deflecting blows) You tell 'em, Teddy. Get the bear! That'll fix everything.

  Kat: (Pulls Teddy off Brad) C’mon, Brad. We're driving you home.

  Brad: Wha- Why?

  Kat: Cause Blood White raked the heart clean out of you.

  Brad: Got that right. (Pulling free) We letting a bear throw us off the mountain, guys?!

  Jimbo: No!

  Brad: So who's calling the shots?

  Kat: You're talking suicide, Bradley! (Grabs Jimbo, leaving) So talk to yourself.

  Brad: Jimbo brung it up. It's Jimbo's idea.

  Kat: (Glaring at Jimbo) He didn't mean it.

  Jimbo: (Huffs) You'll find out what I mean. (Beat) Benny?

  Ben: Yeah, Jimbo.

  Jimbo: You still got that rack of automatics?

  Ben: Sure do.

  Faye: Teddy! (Her tone stops everyone) Do not break your promise to me.

  (Teddy stares at her – his face sagging, heart breaking – but backs away with the men. Faye goes limp, collapsing. Kat catches her)

  Jimbo: (Quick) Ben?

  Ben: Out back.

  (The men exit with Ben, flinging arms over each other's shoulders)

  Brad: Let's get 'em, boys.

  Kat: Teddy, you can't go! Don't give up, Faye; I need your help.

  Faye: (Holding her belly) It's over, Kat.

  Kat: Nothing's over, but something’s happened.

  Faye: Insane macho bullshit happened. And I won’t go through it again. Not now I’m pregnant.

  Kat: (Stunned) Does Teddy know?

  Faye: That’s why he swore he’d never go up there again.

  Kat: (In awe) So he’s that scared. The whole damn sky is falling.

  Faye: Scared of what?

  Kat: (Looks at Faye, beat– ) You love Teddy?

  Faye: Jesus!

  Kat: They did something bad. You ready?

  Faye: For what?

  Kat: I don't know yet. But it's bad.

  Faye: What the hell are you talking about?

  Kat: This is a cover! Don’t you see? They're more scared of our finding out what they did with this doe, than they are of Blood White.

  Faye: (Staring at Kat) What did they do?

  Kat: I don't know. Anything. What would scare them?

  (They look at each other, thinking terrible things)

  Faye: (Frightened now) Lena knows.

  _____________________________

  Lena’s Home

  Lena washes Jawea's legs and feet, chats warmly, but Jawea is silent. Matu’s chant.

  Lena: You didn't see Brad at his best. (Looks at Jawea; no response) He hasn't been since Sally was lost. The more unhappy he gets, the more...brutal he seems. But you should have heard him this morning, so happy, talking about life as though he'll begin it all over. I'll bring him around, I know I can.
You aren't hearing me. (Gazing up at Jawea) Did you fall? You got lost? These scratches are terrible, Jawea. Please tell me what happened.

  (Jawea hurting, but won’t tell what happened to her)

  Jawea: You told me about your hand on the clay, spinning.

  Lena: (Puzzled) When I shape a pot on the wheel?

  Jawea: How you find life in the clay.

  Lena: That's right...

  Jawea: But how sometime the shape is wrong.

  Lena: Yes.

  Jawea: And your hand knows. The clay tells it, in the spinning.

  Lena: Yes. (Beat) Are you saying you can't touch Sally?

  (Jawea looks at Lena, but doesn't answer)

  Lena: You can't let her father stop you. Then you're as wrong as he is. You have to help her.

  (Jawea gets up. Lena gets frantic)

  Lena: You’ll punish a child because a man was rude to you?

  Jawea: (Moves to door, but, wanting to tell, hoarse– ) Her father...

  Lena: So you're running off? Sally’s just a misshaped pot you’ll let die. Do you think you're God?

  (Jawea is out the door. Lena falls to her knees, weeping)

  Lena: Please don't go! Jawea, I'm sorry. Please forgive me.

  (Jawea holds herself, lowers to haunches, rocking. Lena is quiet)

  Lena: Don't trust me again. I'd destroy you to help Sally live. I was a good person; but I've turned fierce, ugly; the only time I feel pure is when she's awake. I had no God, but now I'm losing everything, I keep looking for signs; so I believed you were sent to me: if you could reach Sally, wherever she'd gone, you were the sign she’d be saved. But now...you’re in terrible pain, I can see that, but all I can think of is how it hurts Sally. I've gone crazy.

  Jawea: (Gazes at Lena, wanting to tell her everything) We do know things by signs.

  Lena: Yours tell you to go?

  Jawea: Yes.

  Lena: Then go. With your God.

  (Jawea gets up to leave. Lena doesn't move. Jawea looks at her)

  Jawea: Mama bears aren't crazy.

  (Sally is waking. Jawea stiffens with fright)

  Sally: (Calling softly) Jawea?

  Lena: (Restraining her excitement) You're frightened?

  Jawea: (Choked) Yes.

  Lena: You can't go to her?

  (Jawea numbly shakes her head)

  Lena: (Lump in her throat) Then go quietly.

  Sally: Jawea?

  (Jawea looks at Lena, frightened)

  Lena: She was here. But she couldn't stay.

  (Jawea breathes deep, begins to leave)

  Sally: You told her I missed her?

  (Jawea stops in the door, clutches herself, from pain)

  Lena: (Bravely) Yes. She was sorry to go. She found the herbs you need. I'll make you some broth.

  (Jawea starts to move away)

  Sally: Was Jawea lost on the mountain like me?

  (Jawea stops, spins, runs back to face Sally. Lena’s gasp of joy)

  Sally: I knew you'd come.

  Jawea: Yes.

  Sally: My daddy came home from hunting.

  Jawea: (Beat) Yes.

  Sally: Jawea. Give me your hands.

  (Lena looks at Jawea, hardly daring to breathe)

  Jawea: Hold her.

  (Overjoyed, Lena cradles Sally. Jawea sits facing Sally, extends her hands. Sally places her hands in Jawea's, who now hopes to lose her pain by healing Sally– )

  Jawea: Don’t be afraid. You're safe in the den. You can see the mountain, your brother creatures, the trees– (Stops abruptly) It's not working.

  Lena: Don't stop.

  Jawea: Something's wrong.

  Lena: No.

  Sally: Your hands are cold, Jawea.

  Lena: No.

  Jawea: There's no heat. My heart must have stopped.

  Lena: No. Don't be silly.

  (Jawea's gasping in panic, moves to door while Lena follows her)

  Lena: You need rest, that's all.

  (Jawea breaks away, running. Lena calls after her)

  Lena: You'll get your strength back. Come in the morning. Please?

  (Kat and Faye come racing on, nearly stumbling on Lena, grab her)

  Kat: Lena! Come to the tavern, quick!

  Faye: Brad’s gone fucking crazy! He's taking our guys up the mountain again.

  Kat: What did you say to him?

  Lena: (Distracted) Nothing.

  Kat: Don't tell me "nothing!"

  Faye: What did they do on the mountain?

  Lena: I don’t know, I don’t care; I need Jawea! Brad saw her, she pulled her knife, and he went out of his mind.

  Kat: (Stunned, realizing) It's the Indian hate. Oh God.

  Faye: But he kept saying "a little brown doe."

  Kat: They could have destroyed a sacred place. I know something big came down. They're terrified.

  Lena: I can’t...

  Faye: They'll all die, Lena. Please come!

  Kat: Do it for Faye. She’s pregnant, Lena.

  Lena: What?

  Kat: And Teddy just swore not to go up again, but they’re still...

  Lena: I can't stop Brad.

  Faye: (To Kat) She's gonna do fuck-all. Let's get out of here.

  Kat: You mean you won’t!

  Lena: I want him to get that bear.

  (Lena’s shivering.