Another one-act. Can you tell I'm writing for a class? :)

Tontine

SCENE 1

TIME: November 16, 1881.

AT RISE: the front room of a middle-class apartment. A COUCH downstage, a CHAIR upstage right, and two DOORS: upstage left and upstage center. A pair of SUSPENDERS, a VEST, and a COAT lay on the couch and chair. A CALENDAR hangs on the back wall, marked to November third.

EUGENE ENTERS from the center door, a bouquet in one hand and a paper in the other.

EUGENE

Arthur? Arthur? I probably should’ve knocked. Well, of course I should’ve knocked. I’ve barged in, I apologize…it was open.

(There is no response)

I have your paper for this morning. There’s been more trouble with the railroad strikers. Oh, and your calendar is out of date.

(EUGENE corrects the calendar by striking out the days up until the sixteenth)

Arthur?

(There is a loud THUMP offstage)

Good morning. I was beginning to wonder if you were dead.

(EUGENE opens the paper. ARTHUR appears in the doorway, leaning against the doorway)

ARTHUR

What time is it?

EUGENE

(Glancing at his pocket watch)

Nearly three.

(ARTHUR ENTERS, rubbing his head. He is dressed only in an unbuttoned shirt, pants, and socks)

ARTHUR

Three…in the afternoon?

EUGENE

Yes.

ARTHUR

Then it’s late enough for cocaine.

EUGENE

Oh, not now, please. The needle disturbs me.

ARTHUR

(Annoyed)

You schoolboy. Should I offer you a cigar?

EUGENE

If you have a light…I have my own cigarette.

ARTHUR

There’s a word for you, Eugene. Teetotaler.

(Nevertheless, ARTHUR lights his friend’s proffered cigarette. For himself, he lights a cigar)

Now, why are you in my house?

EUGENE

Well Alice and I --

ARTHUR

So you’ve finally got a girl.

(ARTHUR sinks onto the couch and props his feet up on the arm)

Women, wine, and money, Eugene. Basic food groups. For instance, my Laura. And champagne. And the tontine.

EUGENE

(EUGENE had been following the sentence, until the last word)

Tontine?

ARTHUR

Yes, dullard. The tontine. And before you ask…

(EUGENE had opened his mouth; HE shuts it)

ARTHUR

…it is a lottery.

EUGENE

(Interested)

A lottery?

ARTHUR

Not just any lottery, though.

(Growing more enthusiastic; ARTHUR sits up)

A life-and-death lottery.

EUGENE

A what?

ARTHUR

(Getting off the couch and grabbing the SUSPENDERS)

Everyone puts something in. Everyone gets a dividend. As the members die, their shares go to the living members.

EUGENE

Sounds a trifle morbid for your taste.

ARTHUR

I’ve never heard myself mentioned with ‘taste.’ But it’s not meant to be morbid. It is, though. Otherwise…why play?

EUGENE

Wouldn’t the members kill each other off?

ARTHUR

That’s about the scope of things. It’s a new system of ‘insurance,’ and I’m hoping to be the last one alive.

EUGENE

You’re going to…to…kill everyone off?

ARTHUR

Of course not. I don’t want to end up in prison. I’m going to let them kill each other off. I’ll take care of the last man. It’s the simplest way.

(EUGENE is frozen. An awkward moment ensues. ARTHUR finally speaks)

ARTHUR

So why are you in my house, again?

EUGENE

Oh. I’m going to take Alice to tea. I wanted some conversation tips.

ARTHUR

For God’s sake, stop courting her. You’ve been at it for months. Just marry the girl.

EUGENE

(To himself)

I haven’t the money…

(To ARTHUR, after an awkward pause)

I’ll…just go.

(EUGENE EXITS. ARTHUR flops onto the couch again)

BLACKOUT

TIME: November 19, 1881.

AT RISE: Arthur’s home. A BOTTLE sits, half empty, on the couch arm. ARTHUR himself sits on the couch, perusing the obituaries.

A KNOCK sounds at the door. ARTHUR doesn’t respond until the second knock.

ARTHUR

(Dragging another page of the newspaper over the obituaries)

Come in!

(EUGENE enters, dejected)

Oh. It’s only you.

(ARTHUR then looks up at EUGENE)

What’s wrong with you, Eugene?

EUGENE

(Struggles briefly with the wording, but then spits it out)

I asked Alice to marry me, Arthur. I asked her father, and he said no.

EUGENE

(ARTHUR ‘mmhm’s, then returns to the clippings)

I have no money, Arthur. Nothing. And…

ARTHUR

(Finding a name in the paper)

Ah-hah! Here it is. Bastard’s dead.

EUGENE

My God…was there an accident?

ARTHUR

(Ripping the first obituary from the paper, and finding a second)

No. This, my friend, is the result of the tontine.

EUGENE

In just three days?

(ARTHUR nods)

ARTHUR

(Tearing out the second obituary)

The steel worker died of ‘over-drunkeness,’ and that librarian perished of ‘unknown causes.’ Two down…eight yet to go.

EUGENE

You haven’t been…?

ARTHUR

I told you: I’m not lifting a finger for the cash. They’re doing all the work. All I have to do is be careful, and they’ll do the work for me. I’ll end up the living after all, you watch. I only fire one bullet…and I get the money.

EUGENE

That’s…quite a way to get your capital.

ARTHUR

I’ll walk away a rich man.

BLACKOUT

TIME: November 26, 1881.

PLACE: ARTHUR’s front room, with the addition of a full ashtray on the couch arm and another newspaper on the floor.

ARTHUR ENTERS from the bedroom, a pair of scissors in hand. HE moves to the armchair and picks up the most recent newspaper. Flipping to the obituaries, he clips out two before a KNOCK sounds at the door. ARTHUR pockets the clippings.

ARTHUR

Who is it?

EUGENE

(EUGENE ENTERS, umbrella in hand)

It’s only me. Beastly weather outside. Your calendar is wrong… It’s the twenty-sixth.

(HE takes out a pen and crosses off the dates)

Are you clipping obituaries again?

ARTHUR

(Producing clippings and a black-ribboned funereal prayer card)

Four more. Four, besides myself, yet to die.

EUGENE

Four? You said two died earlier, then four. That is six, plus four, and then yourself. That’s eleven; didn’t you say there were ten?

ARTHUR

(Laughs to himself)

Well added, Eugene. But someone joined at the last minute. And this is the best part yet: he’s rich.

EUGENE

He puts in the same, doesn’t he?

ARTHUR

(ARTHUR shakes his head and produces a little slip of stationary)

My sources and I managed to get a hold on this liddle beauty. Read it, Eugene. Aloud. I like hearing it.

(ARTHUR hands the PAPER to EUGENE, who reads from it)

EUGENE

‘I will put in $100,000 extra. The dead men’s shares will be mine.’ He means to --

ARTHUR

To win. But I’ll beat him to it. I’ve got his plans, and I’m taking care now. Mark my words…I’ll be the last left standing. And he’s doing his work so fast; it’ll be over in a month. Mark me.

BLACKOUT

TIME: December 23, 1881

PLACE: ARTHUR’s front room, more disheveled than ever. A HAT adorns the armchair, as do several newspapers. On the couch, another wine BOTTLE, a withered ROSE, and a lady’s GARTER.

(A white ENVELOPE, sealed with red wax, slides under the door. ARTHUR ENTERS from the bathroom and sees it. HE picks it up, rips it open, and skims it. Suddenly HE burst out laughing, raucously)

ARTHUR

Oh, I must wire Eugene. My God…this is some news.

(HE walks to the armchair to take the hat, as if to go out and wire for EUGENE. But EUGENE ENTERS through the front door)

Oh. I was just about to wire you. This, this came just a moment ago!

(HE waves the note excitedly and explains)

They’re all dead. Everyone but the last man. The rich one. Listen.

(HE reads the note aloud)

‘You and I are all that’s left. I’ll see you at half past two to resolve the issue.’ Same hand; same stationary. Good God, what time is it?

(ARTHUR searches his pockets for a watch and, not finding one, EXITS through the bedroom doorway)

EUGENE

(Consulting his own pocket watch coolly)

Twenty after two.

ARTHUR

(Off-stage)

Just as well I didn’t wire you then. Blast it, where is that revolver? Ah-hah! Here it is!

(ARTHUR REENTERS, hands wrapped around a revolver)

I’ll resolve the issue with one bullet. Maybe two.

(To EUGENE)

You can stay here if you want…but it’s probably best if you leave it to me.

EUGENE

I’ll stay.

(ARTHUR shrugs and continues to load the revolver. HE sits down on the couch)

ARTHUR

I told you the game’d be up in a month. And I didn’t have to do anything. I bet that rich baron’s been slaughtering right and left.

EUGENE

Not a bad guess.

ARTHUR

What?

EUGENE

Nothing.

(Beat)

ARTHUR

Must be nearly time. Will you take the bedroom? I don’t want to have to tell anybody that you were in the room. Just in case they ask.

(EUGENE nods and walks toward the room, but pauses at the door. ARTHUR takes a pull at the whiskey bottle on the couch, and stands)

EUGENE

The game is over, Arthur.

(ARTHUR looks at EUGENE strangely. In answer, EUGENE pulls a pistol from one coat pocket and cocks it)

For Alice.

Simultaneous BLACKOUT and GUNSHOT