White Horse/Bronze Star
by Sander Hicks
Comprehensive DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Dr. Nick Grand (middle aged dentist)
President Bush (yes him)
MJ Khan/Zelikow (50ish Pakistani extrovert)
Jack Riley (pushy host at Flex News)
Two Young Terrorists (one has one line)
Jesus Montoya (homeless intellectual prophet)
Lucinda Field (suburban cult survivor)
Burt Field (her husband)
Special Agent Steve Hegel (company man)
Condoleezza Rice (the legend)
Barfly
SMALLER ROLES TO DOUBLE UP:
Riley’s Handler
Riley’s Crazed Fans
TV News Reporter
Scientologist
Dick Cheney
The Poisoning Woman
Scene 1 - Graham’s Opening Monologue.
He sets up a video camera to record himself, and then speaks this speech to the camera, and audience, directly.
I am dead.
It’s funny right?
I find now, that by being dead I am now more alive than when I was “alive.”
The truth is funny like that. Even though I am dead, I can still speak to you. I guess I have quite a story to tell.
You are not going to believe this story. I hope you believe it, because it’s an unbelievable account of what happened.
About 10 months before 9/11, I found myself in a strange circumstance, amongst some Arab-type fellas. Later I found out, they were 9/11 terrorists and unindicted co-conspirators.
When I was young dentist, I volunteered to go to Vietnam. I was willing to lay down my life for what I thought was a good cause. I wanted to be like Jesus. When I got to Vietnam, I tried to save lives. I saw some stuff that I didn’t appreciate. But I was able to do a few things that helped save lives, both Vietnamese and American.
This is a time when the name of Jesus makes most people turn off.
People say they know Jesus, but talk is cheap.
Jesus died too. He went through death and came out the other side.
Now who knows where we can go? You and I have a journey to make together. It’s like we are on a strong white horse. Is this horse going somewhere we want to go? It’s unbelievable but I believe.
The journey to death and back might teach you a few things.
Enter Bush
BUSH I have ordered that the full resources of the federal government - uh - go to help the victims and their families, and - and to conduct a full-scale investigation to hunt down and to find those folks who committed this act.
Seamless segue into:
Scene 2 - Khan Grand Meet Young Students
Grand walks with Khan into his townhouse.
GRANDEveryone I talk to, all my patients prefer an all-natural toothpaste. This would be a smart investment for you.
KHANHa ha, you have very much passion. Don’t worry, I have many friends with money…MANY friends
GRANDWell that would be great, but…. What is it?
KHANI asked them to help clean, they no listen!
GRANDWho?
KHANThe medical students they leave soon – they Good boys. Studying to be doctor.
GRANDIt’s quite an opportunity we have here in natural toothpaste.
KHANI think for me, I can no invest, but you should do investment with me. I have textile factories, many farms, in Swat Valley, in Pakistan. You know Swat Valley?
GRANDNever been.
KHANThat is the nice place. Osama Bin Laden he live in Swat Valley.
GRANDWait, that’s the guy who bombed embassies in Africa?
KHAN laughs nervously.
KHANTV is all wrong – he good man! Knows my father. They friends.
Enter Nawaf Al Hazmi. & FAYED BANIHAMMAD they have a tea set and try to serve Grand some tea, but there is something wrong with them, like they are drugged on downers, and are just moving too slow.
KHANthese are the doctors. That one is Dr. Fayed Banihammad. and this one Dr. Nawaf Al-Hazmi. They studying the medicine, at the L-S-U Medical Center. Good boys.
GRANDNice to meet you, Dr. Al-Hazmi
(beat.)
KHANWe have many friends. We have even lady friends on Base, helping me.
GRANDWait, on the base? On Barksdale?
KHANRight here. We can do the double date, sometime, I have many lady friends, its no problem for me. She divorce you, your wife is terrible. I can help you fix you up. No problem.
GRANDNawaf, what field of medicine are you studying?
(beat.)
KHANHe studying the Ear, Nose, Throat.
(to Grand)
NAWAFThank. You.
seemless segue? into:
Scene 3- Riley Grand
ONE YEAR LATER November, 2001.
It’s the book event for TV personality Jack Riley's new book, “Say Yes to Hate.” Jack Riley, 38, pasty-faced host for a conservative TV network, is taking questions from his fans. Fans line up at their own mike. The crowd is wildly supportive of Jack's comments. He is working it, with a couple big beefy stony-faced security people and PR/handlers surrounding him.
GRANDWhy did you pick the title “Say Yes to Hate?”
JackHey this year, hate is hot. They attacked us. 9/11. They hate American freedom. Hate will keep coming at us, This has been going on since the Crusades. They took over the Holy Land. Now they want New York. The terrorists hate the America they saw on TV. They hate your home town, here… Baton Rouge.
Handler Shreveport.
JackShreveport!
GRANDWhat can we do?
JackThis war that not end in our lifetimes. The America we knew is over. I wasn't always a man of hate. But if you attack me, and attack my family? What am I going to do? Right? Come on, you tell me? Jesus is not a wimp.
(Crowd makes noises of assent.)
Riley Fan #2How can you ignore the insidious conspiracy against us fomented by the Masons, the Illuminati, financed by the Jew Bankers who created Hitler and continue….
A few of the other fans in crowd shout “sit down” as the mike for the audience questions goes off. Handlers for Jack Riley take the podium.
Handler OK! Thank you so much for coming! Great questions, people! Can we line up over here, and Jack will sign your book? We really are short on time, so if you could please keep the line moving….
Jack Riley goes to sit down to sign books for people. Nick Grand lets a couple of other people go in front of him to get their book signed by Jack Riley, so that Grand can be last.
JACKWhew. What a crowd, eh?
GRANDLove your show.
JACKYeah, thanks, what's your name?
GRANDDr. Nick Grand. Veteran of the US Air Force. ‘ volunteered to go to Vietnam.
JACKThank you for fighting for your country.
GRANDWell, We ran MED CAP programs that gathered intelligence. And kind of based on what I learned to do there, I wanted to ask you something I saw
He pulls out his manila folder, and a news clipping of the faces of the 9/11 hijackers
GRANDYou see this guy? And this one? They were in Shreveport, here in this city. I met them.
A handler for Riley comes up and whispers in Riley's ear. Riley gets up.
JACKWell, read that book - We are all trying to make sense of what 9/11 means. Of just how deep the hate for us goes.
Riley is tapped on the shoulder by his handlers, who put on his black cashmere overcoat, and begin to walk him towards offstage. Handlers are oblivious of Grand, and one gets in between him and Riley a bit, but Grand nimbly keeps pace astride Riley. Handlers are checking their watches and Blackberries, they need to get him to the taping of his radio show.
GRANDI thought they were here to attack Barksdale Air Force Base.
JACKWho was?
GRANDThe terrorists
JACK What terrorists?
GRANDThe 9/11 Terrorists! The ones I met.
JACKYou wouldn't believe the stuff I hear from people.
GRANDYou might want this story. How I met them. For your show.
JACKYou should have gone to FBI.
GRANDI did, they got angry. At me!
JACKYou have to be professional.
GRANDI am professional. I’m a dentist! I keep my records like it's lab work. My wife left me, my son thinks I’m crazy, every wekk I have these ideas for new businesses, but I’m servicing over $50 grand worth of credit card debt every month. Still, I wrote you an initial report, Jack, read it over later. I need your help.
Grand holds out the memo.
JACK I'm a commentator. A pundit.
GRANDThey were here, before 9/11. Al Qaeda was in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Jack takes the memo and folds it up and puts it in his inside jacket pocket.
JACKIt's the Illuminati, right? Who killed Elvis, right? Aliens? Firing shots from the grassy knoll, right? Look at what Cheney told Senator Daschle this week. Investigating the 9/11 attacks is only going to strip precious resources away from the War on Terror. Is that what you want? Do you want another anthrax attack?
GRANDNo.
JACKI know Tom Daschle doesn't.
HANDLER#2Jack, the car is waiting.
GRANDAre you a Christian?
JACKWe all have a huge sphere of concern, and a tiny sphere of influence. You need to know what God gave you the power to change, and where you have zero power, zero. Good luck, my friend.
Jack turns to go. Takes a couple steps away from Grand, but is still within earshot.
HANDLER #1Actually we have time if you’re hungry.
JACKSheesh, what am I a freak magnet?
They exit, laughing.
Grand, alone, looks down at his book. Looks around.
Segue into:
Scene 4 – Jesus Preaches at Grocery Store
JESUS MONTOYA, a homeless man, is in the parking lot outside the Shreveport grocery store. He is attempting to preach about Jesus.
LUCINDA FIELD and BURT FIELD are leaving the grocery store with bags of groceries. There is a crowd there, including Khan, Burt, and Grand.
JESUSIf we invade Afghanistan, God will curse this nation, with a long and bloody war. If you pay taxes, you are dropping the bombs.
BURTGet a job!
JESUSJesus would never fight a war, or support one. Your churches are dens of thieves.
KHANShut Up you are infidel! You curse God? Let’s stone him!
they pick up stones
LUCINDAspeaks to the crowd
What if he’s right? What if we are so addicted to war, it’s like smoking, we do it without thinking. We find our hands lighting up. We probably will invade Afghanistan.
BURTI need a cigarette!
(he exits)
GRANDTHis man has the right to speak, even if you don’t like what he says.
KHANBah!
(he exits)
[next two lines, Jesus is pronounced en Espanol]
GRANDJesus, this is a conservative area of a conservative town.
JESUSEveryone needs the real Jesus.
LUCINDAWhere do you live?
JESUSI got evicted.
LUCINDAForeclosure?
JESUSI was paying rent. But the landlord was the high priest of Satan
GRANDI don’t see you at the Overcomers meeting anymore.
JESUSMy sobriety is going great. I have seven days sober.
GRANDYou still have my number?
JESUS I am so hungry.
LUCINDADo you want some food? Or some water?
JESUSDo you want water? I want living water. I want you to become living water.
LUCINDAOur Church is blessing the bombers out at Barksdale Sunday afternoon, with water. My husband is excited, but I think it’s silly. But he’s my husband and I love him. Well, the ice cream is melting, and I have a big mouth to feed at home.
(She exits)
JESUS.I appreciate your generosity in the past.
GRANDI am tight on cash right now.
JESUSSome people say God is dead. Why is that?
GRANDShit.
JESUSWe think maybe God got whacked. The Devil has only gotten stronger on this planet. Maybe if God is dead, the Devil is using his body, for like, propaganda.
GRANDHave you ever really prayed hard to know God?
JESUSI hear voices all the time. Out in the woods.
GRANDLet’s pray, right now. Jesus, we take a minute and come into your presence. Help my friend Jesus here in this time of need. Keep him clean in your water. Send someone into his life to give him a break.
[beat]
Hey you know, I have some room down in the storage room at the office. It ain’t the Ritz Hotel, but… Isn’t it funny how prayer changes things?
Scene 5 - Barksdale Air Force Base
Lucinda and Burt and a crowd is blessing bombers and fighter planes with holy water. Including is Dr. Grand, others, and LUCINDA FIELD, 45, a Shreveport housewife, with her husband, BURT FIELD.
BURTBin Laden said he did it in that video.
LUCINDABut that Bin Laden had a fat face and a different nose.
BURTBaby, the FBI showed us all of those photos of the terrorists.
LUCINDAWhere did they get them from so fast?
BURTHoney, is this the kind of thing that helps you serve your family? Paul said “be subordinate to your husband.”
LUCINDAJesus also said “put away the sword.”
BURTUnless you are attacked first. The Just War is one of self-defense.
LUCINDAThe “Just War?” Let’s talk about just Jesus?
BURTThe Church needs to be able to survive….
LUCINDASo, turn the other cheek becomes turn a blind eye to war and huge crimes?
BURTWe are the heart of a heartless world.
LUCINDAFourteen other countries warned us about 9/11 happening. Their spies knew, and we didn't?
BURTThis kind of thing, we will never know. It's a black hole.
LUCINDAJesus says that everything secret will be made known.
BURTIn the end of days.
LUCINDAWhich we are getting closer to. The “end of time” means the end of the empire. An “apocyplyse” means to remove the veil, on your mind!
BURTNever forget what they did to your country.
LUCINDAWhy didn't these planes defend us that day, we have so many. These planes will go kill people who didn't attack us first. Why do we bless them with water? We should stain them with the blood of the lamb.
(He stops blessing the planes.)
BURTAnd lose my security clearance? These soldiers need what I sell them. The military doesn't choose to go to war, the politicians do. These guys have a job to do. You think they feel good about all this?
BURTBaby, I will wait in the truck.
(beat.)
GRANDPeople don't want to talk about 9/11 anymore.
LUCINDAJust because a war is starting?
GRANDPeople want to look like they love their country.
LUCINDAI love my country.
GRANDYeah. I just think you may want to be careful around the Church. It's a pretty conservative place. This whole town is. I used to talk more about 9/11.
LUCINDASo what happened to you?
GRANDIt's just too big for me, for anyone to really know.
LUCINDAWould you like to come to our house for coffee sometime?
Scene 6 – Torture News
Grand is in a bar, watching TV. Flipping channels.
GRANDCan I get an orange juice and seltzer please?
Channel #1: News report:
REPORTERCongress by an overwhelming majority today passed new legislation authorizing the CIA and US Military to detain and question enemy combatants, using controversial interrogation technique: “Water-boarding” Civil liberties groups call it torture but the Pentagon claims….
Grand flips it to:
Channel#2: Jack Riley Show, Jack says directly to the camera:
RILEY… new legislation that will free up our hands, in the War on Terror. 9/11 tells us that they aren't fighting fair. I can't wait for us to strip the bark off these brown little bastards.
Grand flips it to the scourging scene in “The Passion of the Christ.” He is eating popcorn at this point, but then stops chewing, because the violence is so gruesome.
A barfly appears in a reddish nightcluby bar light.
BARFLYSo now they are torturing people.
GRANDWe saw this in Vietnam. It’s psychological warfare, to leave mutilated bodies of the enemy on their trails.
BARFLYYou need a drink
GRANDI don’t really need one, thanks. It didn’t work out for me, drinking
BARFLYSo why are you here?
GRANDI need a quiet place to think.
BARFLYYou deserve one, all the shit you been through. I heard about the tax trouble.
GRANDYou heard about that?
BARFLYWord gets around. Still a hassle?
GRANDI love horses. So I bought some property in Kentucky and developed a racehorse breeding and training facility. It was beautiful. We messed up when we sold it. Didn’t do the capital gains taxes right. I lost a little bit.
BARFLY I hear you lost your shirt.
GRANDWhen you fall in this country, there’s a whole industry that collapses on top of you, with bank fees, and then government penalties, and then back taxes. And now a threat of foreclosure. When it rains it pours. I was just going for the American Dream. It’s like a pack of vultures is always there, circling, when you are a white horse running out of water, in a desert.
BARFLYCan I get a white wine with lots of ice?
Scene 7 - Grand Meets FBI
GRANDWell, what I thought you meant was that you would follow-up with me directly.
HEGELI don't believe there was a distinct commitment but if you feel like there was I do apologize.
GRANDSome people talk about 9/11 all the time.
HEGELYes they do.