Act 1, Scene 1-2: Confederate-Conference I / Escort
ACT ONE.
Scene One: Confederate-Conference I.
Several men in uniforms sit at a round table, with maps in the middle. The light is dim, and the atmosphere is dark. They’re all in deep thought until one of them finally spoke.
CAPTAIN: So, is the plan that you’re proposing to infiltrate the escort-coalition that is currently escorting the Ressueveltt sisters out of Worlington? With him?
CAPTAIN points at a man.
LIEUTENANT: Yes, Jesse Wallace here is a twin of one of the soldiers there, so it will not be nearly as suspicious, with more credibility.
JESSE (bowing): Thank you for selecting me, sir.
CAPTAIN: And you say that this Jesse is a talented and skilled enough inside-man?
LIEUTENANT: Affirmative. We’ll also have Hugo Wilson and John May Lee assisting him, sir.
CAPTAIN: Yes, yes, but you are aware that they have Union soldiers escorting them?
LIEUTENANT: Yes sir.
CAPTAIN: This mission can be vital to the cause of the succession, you are aware of that?
LIEUTENANT: Of course, sir.
CAPTAIN: Well then, boy, what will you do when we send a small company to attack the scouts?
JESSE: I will first have to find my twin-brother, Jay, and get him alone. After killing him and robbing him of his clothing, I should be able to disguise as him, sir.
CAPTAIN: And you’re sure that you can perform this well?
JESSE: Confident, sir.
CAPTAIN: How long have you and your twin been apart?
JESSE: Half a decade, sir.
CAPTAIN: And how do you know what his customs are by now?
JESSE: Because my dear sister, Joyce, has been sending me that the letters that she has been receiving from Jay, sir.
CAPTAIN: But… why has she been delivering you these letters?
JESSE: Because she absentmindedly wants to unite the two of us together once more, despite not seeing our current situation. She sends me these letters so that I am aware of how my brother is doing, and perhaps get soft on him.
CAPTAIN: Ah. You’re taking advantage of your sister?
JESSE: For the succession, sir.
CAPTAIN: Scoundrel.
JESSE: Sir. I do it to benefit our cause.
CAPTAIN: So what if she sees that he is no longer writing her letters? Or what if you’re not writing her letters?
JESSE: Through these 5 years, I have responded to her about a half a dozen times, compared to her sending me one every time she is passionate about anything. For myself, it won’t be a difference, but for my brother, I have mastered his font, sir. It was not a hard task to begin with, for even in youth, our fonts are uniquely alike; we learned from the same mother.
CAPTAIN: And what about your mother? Will she not ask questions?
JESSE: Sir. That will not be an issue.
CAPTAIN: Why is that?
JESSE: Our mother has been dead for 5 years.
CAPTAIN: Ah, very well. I suppose your father is the same?
JESSE: I cannot say that for a fact, I have never met him. I must add, though, the only thing that will be out of place in this act is my relationship, possibly, with the people close to my brother.
CAPTAIN: Eh?
JESSE: I might not know the inside jokes that they tell one another, sir. But I do not think it will be much of an issue.
CAPTAIN: Very well, very well. So you pledge to do your pique for the succession and the cause of the South?
JESSE: Affirmative.
LIEUTENANT: You act gleeful, why is that?
JESSE: I get to do something I’ve always dreamed of, sir.
CAPTAIN: That is?
JESSE: To meet my brother Jay once more, look him dead in the eyes, speak to him my solemn words, then fire. Once and for all.
Blackout. Scene Two starts.
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Scene Two: Escort
As soon as the curtains open up, people could be seen exclaiming as they charge across the stage, hiding behind walls and debris. JAY with ALBERT by his side, pistols in hand. All around, small explosions occur on stage, things popping as the two covered their head. Screaming and yelling continues.
(Random screams throughout): Take cover!, INCOMING VOLLEY, Fire, Charge, Attack, Take cover!, Help, Retreat!.
JAY: Albert.
ALBERT: Quit what you’re going to say, Jay. Harm to us is nigh, be prepared to retaliate if they come this way.
JAY (once both took shelter): I know we’re going to die in this spot, if not, near here.
ALBERT: Hope is for God to reach us and shield us.
JAY: I don’t think God is gonna save us this time; this is the end of us.
ALBERT: “If death comes our path…”
JAY: Yes, I know the motto, Albert.
ALBERT: “...we fall defending the Ressueveltt family with honor.”
JAY: How’s one to die with glory if no one knows your name? We die not in honor but in vain. (chuckles) Damn. If this truly be the last of our friendship, I’m glad that I’m here with you.
ALBERT (looking away and adjusting his gun): We die protecting the great and the noble.
JAY: It’s just… so… disappointing.
ALBERT: Eh?
JAY: Y’know, I have a family back home.
ALBERT: Oh, yeah, I get you now.
JAY: It’s a bit tough to realize that I’ll meet God without meeting my Sarah, my little girl Catherine, and my younger sister Joyce for the last time.
ALBERT (whistles) Joyce! She’s a damn pretty lass.
JAY: Shut it, you idiot.
ALBERT: How old is she again, Catherine?
JAY: Little Cath just turned four.
ALBERT: Damn. But don’t be completely hopeless, Jay, ya might be able to meet your family again.
JAY: Huh? Well, if that is true, I’ll be coming home without an arm or two. But damn, if that does happen, I won’t be able to beat up my brother Jesse when I meet him again.
ALBERT (chuckles and places his hand on JAY’s shoulder): Haha, you still have a blood feud with him? ... What if we made a pledge before death, what do you say, my best mate?
JAY: I do not think, if one of us do meet God’s hands, that the other can accountably fulfill each other’s wishes.
ALBERT: Nay, it is simple.
JAY (smirks before it fades.): Speak with haste then, hypocrite.
ALBERT: If one of us does decease, the simple request would be to simply keep the other’s memory alive. Still though, auck, what misery. I don’t get to pleasure myself with a drop of bark juice before I go. What poor luck.
JAY (pulls something out from his pocket): What’a lucky lad you are. I managed to cabbaged some before we headed North again.
ALBERT: What luck indeed, bully! Well, what are you waiting for, give me a sip of it, son.
JAY: Ye, ye, give me a second will-ya? Aight, here.
ALBERT (seeing that the flask broke right in JAY’s hands): INCOMING FIRE!
Explosions occur in the background as scraps of paper, dust, and other things explode spontaneously near them, around them, and behind them. Ducking, then pulling out their pistols, they aimed and shot.
JAY: Damn, this really be the last of our friendship.
ALBERT: Let us meet on the other side, brother.
JAY: Ye.
ALBERT: But first, before we leave the fun… give ’em hell.
JAY: Give ’em hell, understood.
The two continued to peak over the corners, fire, then duck back, repeatedly, with screaming and yelling behind him. Triumphant music plays in the background as it continues. Until, at last, they heard a series of loud and intimidating footsteps. Ducking, both of them gets ready to retaliate, but that was when bullets were fired at them, causing explosions. ALBERT bellowed a violent cry. He falls to the ground, dropping his pistol as he grabs his leg.
ALBERT (wincing and moaning): Damn it, they got my leg!
JAY (as he attempts to help ALBERT stand up): Can you get up?
ALBERT: Nah. I can’t.
JAY: Damn it, get up you bastard.
ALBERT: I would if I can! Leave, leave without me!
JAY: I’m not leaving without you!
JAY grabs bandages from his bag and bands up ALBERT’s leg, making it tight and then covering it with his pant leg.
JAY: We need to get you a doctor.
ALBERT: Jay, leave me.
JAY: I can’t, brother. You know I can’t do that.
ALBERT: Jay. I can’t move. Leave me.
JAY: You can’t move… but I can.
ALBERT: Exactly. Leave.
JAY: No. Since you can’t move and I can…
ALBERT: Damn it, Jay, that’s stupid. Don’t.
JAY: Damn you, if I’m leavin’, I’m doing it with you.
ALBERT: You have a wife and a child!
JAY: And you have a best mate. Are you just going to abandon him?
ALBERT (stares intensely at JAY): Goddamnit! Help me up, you son of a bastard.
JAY: Ye, that’s it, buddy, that’s the spirit!
Grabbing their guns and ammunition and putting one back into ALBERT’s holster and one into his own, JAY carries ALBERT as he leans towards him while walking. He winces in pain as well as occasionally trip. They walk triumphantly, trying to be discreet, to the right exit stage. Once they went through there, Union soldiers and nurses rush out of the left stage, some carrying muskets while others carried men.
JAY: Injured man! Injured man!
Nurse: Bring him over to the tent!
They staggered over to the tent, with the nurses immediately starting to pay attention to him. JAY walks out of the stage, still staggering, as he wipes sweat off of his face. Looking at one of the soldiers, he asked them a question.
JAY: Did y’all escort the Ressueveltt sisters to safety yet?
SOLDIER: Yes.
JAY: Where are they now?
SOLDIER: I can’t tell you.
JAY: Aye. When are we leavin’ Worlington? Us scouts founded and was attacked by Confederates not too far back, so the sisters are in danger.
SOLDIER: We are leaving Worlington as soon as possible.
JAY (points to the right): So are in one of those carriages the sisters?
SOLDIER: Yes.
JAY: Damn. So that’s why there are so many.
SOLDIER: Yes.
JAY: Are you Union soldiers always this monotonous.
SOLDIER: No.
JAY: Tell me, why are y’all here in the first place? Didn’t know you protected LJR’s daughters.
SOLDIER: Mister Ressueveltt is very important to the North winning this Civil War.
JAY: Heh. I guess that’s better than just us; servants of the Ressueveltts doing all the dying. It was a joke, do some laughing.
JAY (the soldier remains monotonous): Damn.
JAY (turning away from the soldier and taking out his gun): I guess we’ll both do meet God’s judgement soon or later, brother. I’ll see you there.
Blackout.
