| Darkness. A loud shotgun blast then a strong beam of light appears and arcs around shakily. Three men stand behind it. One runs forward holding a shotgun. This is Rhys. He looks out into the distance then searches the ground around him. His brother, Mal, walks forward with a lamp like a car headlight in his hand, and points the beam in Rhys' general area. Dav steps forward and conspicuously sniffs the air. He steps back. The three are dressed for hunting. Mal and Dav look with disdain at Rhys. |
|
| Mal |
Fucks sake Rhys... Jesus... |
| Mal wiggles a finger in his ear. |
|
| Mal |
Bit of warning would be nice. |
| Rhys looks disappointed as he scours the ground. He ignores Mal. |
|
| Mal |
A warning would have been nice. Fire in the hole or something. |
| Rhys |
You've got to go for them when they're there. |
| Mal looks amused as he shines the light on Rhys as he moves around. Dav wanders and looks in all directions. |
|
| Mal |
Ahh. Did you know that they say that if a fox walks through a field full of rabbits, it won't go for them. It goes on its business and leaves the rabbits alone. |
| No answer. |
|
| Mal |
Pheasant, is it? |
| Rhys |
Rabbit. |
| Mal looks up. |
|
| Mal |
Rabbit? Up there? |
| Rhys |
No. Down here. |
| Mal |
The shot went up, Rhys. |
| Rhys |
Is this a particular fox you're thinking of or just in general? |
| Mal |
In general, in general. |
| Rhys |
Something tumbled around here, I'm sure. |
| Mal |
No way. You were shooting like someone in a rocking chair. |
| Dav mimes shooting a shotgun loosely from the hip. |
|
| Rhys |
If the shot went up then it has to come down. |
| Mal |
Shooting straight at the rabbit's too easy, is it? Got to try to land the shot on top of its head. |
| Rhys |
But foxes eat rabbits don't they? |
| Mal |
Yeh, but they won't go after them in a field I'm saying. |
| Rhys |
Because it's not worth the bother? (To himself.) I know how he feels. |
| Dav |
Better off on my own. |
| Rhys |
He's right. |
| Mal shines the light directly in Rhys' face. |
|
| Rhys |
Mal, fucks sake! |
| Mal |
It'll be light soon, Rhys. Dav never goes back empty handed. |
| Rhys |
Well I don't either. |
| The three pairs of eyes then follow the light beam as it tracks the horizon. At one point Mal stops the light and the guns are raised. But there's nothing there. |
|
| Rhys |
Fuckin' hell it's cold out here. |
| Mal |
Poof. |
| Rhys |
Got your bottle? |
| Mal |
No. |
| Rhys |
No? |
| Mal |
Don't mix it with the gun. Thing is Dav, back in London Rhys'd be up to his neck in fanny and cocaine. Don't go lamping for rabbits in Ealing. They buy blowpipes in Ikea and go after yuppies. |
| Rhys |
If only. They're not called yuppies anymore. Gone back to being twats. |
| Mal |
Twat hunting with blowpipes. Now there's a hobby. |
| Their eyes follow the path of the light for a moment or so. |
|
| Rhys |
If it was an old rabbit, or one with a broken leg. Fox wouldn't ignore him then, would it? Part of the food chain. Fox sees an old rabbit with, I don't know, a stomach ulcer─ |
| Mal |
─how the hell does it know that? |
| Rhys |
Bad breath. |
| Mal |
And the dry milk of magnesia on its lips. |
| They both giggle and fail to notice Dav trying to fire the gun. Dav realises that he hasn't loaded it and so reaches into his pocket for some cartridges while glancing up and down at whatever he's seen in the distance. The cartridges fall from his hand to the floor and Dav begins to moan to himself like a frustrated child who gives up too easily. Mal gives the lamp to Rhys and tries to take control over Dav who eventually gives the gun to him. Dav becomes withdrawn. Rhys is appalled. |
|
| Rhys |
I've never seen him─ |
| Mal holds up his hand. He loads the gun properly and hands it back to Dav who cradles it like a baby. Mal takes the lamp from Rhys and scans again as if nothing happened. |
|
| Mal |
(To Dav.) You watching? |
| Dav |
Yeh. |
| Mal |
Good man. |
| Rhys |
How long as he been like that? |
| Mal |
He's alright. |
| Rhys |
Do I have to ask again? |
| Mal |
(Emphatic.) No. |
| Pause. Mal's attitude softens. |
|
| Mal |
Since Richard died. A bit worse since Mumma. |
| Rhys |
We all went a bit funny when Richard died. Can't remember Rich though, can he? |
| Mal |
'Course he can. Said he'd bring Dav a penguin so he could go after it in the cowboy suit he got for Christmas. Wouldn't be a sight like it, he said. |
| Rhys |
Case of corned beef I was going to get. Build me up because I looked like a... what was it? |
| Mal |
Rat's knob. You did too. Mumma was going to get a shrapnel grenade in case of difficult visitors, and all dad wanted was for him to come home safe. If he had to go at all. |
| Rhys |
And then there were three. |
| Mal |
Two you mean. You went not long after. That's why this one is so jumpy. He's been so excited since we heard you were coming back he hasn't been able to string a sentence together. I'm too old to be his big brother. It was supposed to be your job. |
| Rhys |
Well I'm back now. Has he seen a doctor? |
| Mal |
What for? |
| Dav |
(Taps his head.) Too much cola. |
| Mal |
That's it, Dav. Too much cola. |
| Rhys shakes his head. |
|
| Mal |
So big brother would have told him different? |
| Rhys |
I can't think of anyone who would have told him that. |
| Mal |
Makes no odds, Rhys. He's happy thinking it. |
| Dav |
Shut up. I'm here. |
| Rhys |
Sorry Dav. I─ |
| Rhys notices something in the distance. |
|
| Rhys |
Fuck. There's somebody out there, over there. |
| Mal scans the light to his left. They all turn. Rhys seems frightened. Mal tuts. Dav watchful. |
|
| Mal |
Long time away. |
| Rhys |
I saw eyes over there. |
| Mal |
No way. With eyes that wide apart you wouldn't shoot it you'd beg it for mercy. |
| Rhys doesn't look convinced. |
|
| Mal |
Human eyes don't shine in the dark. Fox you saw I reckon. |
| Rhys |
Oh yeh? How many manhunts have you been on to work that out. |
| Mal |
Richard told me. |
| Mal is nervous, Rhys unsure. |
|
| Rhys |
Fox then. Wonder if it was after our rabbit? |
| Mal |
Doubt it. Dav will have seen to that. It's a cute beast that gets past its prime around here. |
| Rhys |
Our rabbit is a cute beast though. Stoned to the gills on milk of magnesia. Bust a gut trying to avoid Dav. Past its prime but what a survivor. It just sits in a field and watches the younger generation hop on by while not being attacked by foxes. |
| Mal |
Sitting target for something, mind. |
| Rhys |
No. With all that's wrong with him the rabbit knows he's fuckin' inedible. I mean would you eat a rabbit like that? Imagine having that thing in your mouth. |
| Rhys mimes putting some thing in his mouth, going cross eyed, then gingerly taking it out. Mal laughs. Dav paranoid, aware of all movement. Mal pans the light around. Rhys stares flatly ahead, in a world of his own. Mal looks at Rhys. |
|
| Mal |
You alright? |
| Rhys |
Yeh. Just get the next couple of days over and done with. We'll know where we are then. Haven't even had chance to count the money. |
| Mal |
I'll do that. |
| Rhys |
Fancy the job? |
| Mal |
Aye, why not? Retiring is never easy though Rhys. Good you and Sian are doing it young while you've still got the energy. |
| Rhys |
I'm doing it for all of us. It's my money that'll─ |
| Mal |
─robbing a Chinese bookie isn't the same as working twenty years on a farm. |
| Rhys |
How would you feel if after every job you did someone came along and took ninety percent? |
| Mal |
That's farming. |
| Pause. |
|
| Mal |
When's he coming, Rhys? You thought you saw him then, didn't you? |
| Rhys |
Today or tonight, sometime. He won't try and find me after the funeral. It's enough money to start a new life. Didn't think he'd be here this early. There wouldn't be anyone over there, would there? |
| Mal |
Lost if there was. |
| Rhys |
It wouldn't have been the old man. |
| Mal |
No. Take this a second, Dav. |
| Mal tries to hand the lamp to Dav. Dav refuses to take it. |
|
| Mal |
Take it. |
| He backs away. Rhys realises why Dav doesn't want the lamp. |
|
| Rhys |
Jumpy you say? He saw someone out there as well. Who was it, Dav? |
| Mal |
He didn't see anything and you saw a fox. |
| Dav turns his back on his brothers. Rhys strides up to him and pulls him around. |
|
| Rhys |
What did he look like? Was he stocky with curly hair? |
| Dav doesn't reply. |
|
| Rhys |
Oh god, he wasn't wearing a hat was he? Tall with a hat maybe? Come on for fucks sake. |
| Mal pulls Rhys back from Dav. Mal is angry. |
|
| Mal |
What the hell's got into you Rhys? There's nobody there. |
| Rhys |
Dav. Did you see someone out there? |
| Dav nods. Dav mimes using a torch. |
|
| Dav |
Torch there. |
| Rhys puts his hands to his head for a moment. |
|
| Rhys |
What did he look like? |
| Dav doesn't answer. |
|
| Rhys |
Short and curly or tall with a hat maybe. It's easy enough. |
| Mal grabs Rhys. He sounds very angry. |
|
| Mal |
Five minutes ago you couldn't tell the difference between a fox and a man. |
| Rhys |
You couldn't, you mean. |
| Short pause. Rhys can see that he's gone too far. He doesn't struggle. Mal lets him go. |
|
| Rhys |
Sorry Dav. |
| Mal |
What's all this about a short and curly man or a─ |
| Rhys |
─it doesn't matter Mal. It'll be Tag. He knows he can handle me. You two won't bother him much. I forgot that it isn't just the money. If it was then he'd send someone else. |
| Mal |
What else is there apart from the money? |
| Rhys seems sad. |
|
| Rhys |
Nothing you should bother yourself with, Mal. It'll all come out in the end. |
| Mal is worried. |
|
| Mal |
You're not losing your nerve on me, are you? |
| Rhys |
No. |
| Mal |
Do you want me to go out there and have a look. |
| Rhys |
No. If he's there, he's there. |
| Mal |
Let's go back in then. We've things to do this morning. |
| Rhys |
We can't go back empty handed, can we Dav? |
| Dav |
No. |
| Rhys |
(Laughs.) I've got no idea where we are. |
| Mal |
Run Dav, we might lose him. |
| Mal and Dav laugh and run off. |
|
| Rhys |
No I mean it I'm lost. |
| Exit Rhys. |