LADY SAMANTHA

By Mark Edgemon

Summary
A quest story, in fantasy style. Samuel, a girl of faith, disguises herself as a boy and enlists the help of the King and several unlikely traveling companions in a quest to contact a descendant 1000 years in the future who is about to make a wrong choice that will endanger the whole world.

Actors: 18 Female, 10 Males

Characters
Narrator (A ghost like woman.)
The King (Old and in bad health.)
Chief Administrator (Nervous, jumps at the king’s every command.)
Maid Servant (Humble and in a hurry to obey.)
Samuel (A girl full of faith, who is disguised as a boy.)
Court Jester (Uses comedic gestures and wit to entertain. Eager for approval.)
Blind Woman (A middle-aged blind woman with prophetic gifts.)
7 Townspeople at the well in the village square. (5 females and 2 males.)
Townsperson 1 (Middle age man. In addition to the 7 townspeople.)
Townsperson 2 (Middle age woman. In addition to the 7 townspeople.)
Ashley (12 year old prayer warrior.)
Mother of Ashley (A woman in her late thirties.)
Demon (Demon in female form.)
Vespra (An old woman)
Highwayman 1 (A murderous thug, male.)
2 Highwaymen (2 background thugs, male.)
Braedeth (Protector on the road to Edendorth)
Presidential Aid (Female executive type)
President Elect (Female president elect)
Flavla (Female spiritualist.)
Chief Justice (A large older gentleman.)

ACT I  

SCENE I

SCENE: (Fade in.) (The throne room of a castle. Now…a dark, depressing place, where the king sits on his throne, waiting for his Chief Administrator to come and bring him a word of hope.)

Narrator: (The narrator steps onto stage right. She is wearing a black robe with hood, looking much like the angel of death. Her face is pale. Her voice has a haunting, eerie tone.) Inside the castle, within the throne room, a troubled king worries over a dream he had the night before. All is not well, for he believes the dream is a warning from God for the future…a thousand years from the present medieval time. He believes the burden to deliver the warning to the people of the future has been laid upon him.

(The Chief Administrator enters the room from stage right and stands before the throne.)

The King: (He is an old man holding onto life, now troubled. He speaks to his Chief Administrator, who is standing before his throne.) Have you summoned the mystic?

Chief Administrator: (A middle aged, nervous man, who jumps in spirit each time the king speaks.) No your majesty! (Stammering) I mean, yes, your majesty. I mean…well…he’s dead your majesty!

The King: (Despondent and feeling profound hopelessness) How did he die?

Chief Administrator: No one knows, your majesty. He just…died.

The King: (Dialogue delivery speeds up) Then summon the soothsayer.

Chief Administrator: (Nervous) We can’t wake him up!

The King: Bring me the Oracle of Delphi!

Chief Administrator: She fell out the window.

The King: The wizard of…

Chief Administrator: (Interrupting) He is now a dentist.

The King: (Pause) Why?

Chief Administrator: He saw into the future and was greatly afraid.

The King: (Long pause) Send out a decree that all wise men throughout my kingdom are summoned to my court. I have a dream I want interpreted.

Chief Administrator: (Shifting his feet) Anticipating the king’s need for wise council…(says under his breath) since the king’s own council are now dropping like flies…(Speaks normal and directly to the king) I have found such a man…well a boy really…but a boy who has The Hand of God on his shoulders.

The King: (The king is intrigued) Well make haste and bring me this boy, who has The Lord’s Favor.

(The Chief Administrator raises his right arm and snaps his fingers confidently toward stage right. A maid servant brings a little boy before the king’s throne. The boy is actually a girl, disguised as a boy)

Chief Administrator: Here he is, sire. His name is Samuel. (The Chief Administrator exists stage left)

The King: Boy (The king says while sizing him up) How is it that you know The Lord?

Samuel: (Samuel is wearing a brown robe with hood, which helps disguise her to look more like a boy. She speaks confidently, but somberly) The Lord is preparing me for a mission, sire. I had a dream the other night about a time in the future, when men would go to The Holy Land and fight wars, which would lead to other wars, until all who lived would be destroyed.

The King: (The king arises from his throne, bends over and looks into the boy’s eyes.) That was the dream I had last night. (The king kneels at the boy’s feet and says to him in an urgent manner.) What is the secret to preventing the end of all things? (The king grabs both of the boy’s arms and says frantically) Do you know how to prevent the end of all things?

Samuel: (The boy looks at the king and speaks to him with resolve.) Yes. (Fade out.)

SCENE II

SCENE: (Fade in.) (The courtyard. The Court Jester is preparing new material in hopes of bringing the king out of his depression. He is alone in the courtyard where he is patting himself on the chest, then turns around in circles waving his arms in the air sticking out his tongue, acting like a fool. He tumbles forward landing on his feet and then pats himself on the head.)

Chief Administrator: (Walks out into the courtyard to speak with the Court Jester.) Greetings (short pause, then says speaking with disdain) fool!

Court Jester: I sense the King’s right hand did not eat the appointed amount of prunes today, for his speech, much like his bowels are strained.

Chief Administrator: Very funny (short pause) not! The King does not need you today. He is seeking wise (puts emphasis on the word wise) council.

Court Jester: Then he will miss my new act. It is called “throwing my voice”. This is how it is done. (He adjusts himself like he is going to perform for the Chief Administrator.) Hello there! (He speaks loudly into his hands and then makes a throwing motion to the side as if he is throwing the air in his hands to the wind.) (Pauses) How was that!

Chief Administrator: (Applauding) Wonderful, simply wonderful!

Court Jester: (Eager for praise) Really?

Chief Administrator: (Disdainfully.) No, it was awful. See, I can be funny too.

Court Jester: You are indeed funny every day, especially when advising the king.

Chief Administrator: There is a moat outside filled with alligators. It is their lunch time. Go and entertain them!

Court Jester: I think I will. Truly their sharp teeth are much smaller than yours, their brain much larger…(Turns to leave stage right, saying the next line as he exits.)…and their breath more sweet. (Fade out.)

SCENE III 

SCENE: (Fade in.) (The throne room. The king is kneeling in front of Samuel gripping his arms.)

The King: How can you (short pause) a boy, know how to prevent the end of all things?

Samuel: It is The Lord who has prepared me for this mission, for the person who will be the flashpoint for the world’s destruction will be from my lineage. She will be from my bloodline. As my genealogy began a thousand years ago, she will come into existence a thousand years from now.

The King: How do you know this my son?

Samuel: The Lord has told me this and much more. All time is linear to God, not progressive, as we are lead to believe. God is in the past, present and future all at the same time. The reason you have been chosen to carry the burden of the coming destruction of humanity, is that you are my king and I need your help!

The King: (shaken, still gripping the boys arms.) What must I do?

Samuel: You must take me to the pool at Edendorth, which is fed by the pure springs from beneath. I will need three prayer warriors: Vespra, the old woman in a small cottage on the road to Chattatook; the young girl named Ashley, with holy wisdom, who lives with her mother in the Blood Orchard Vineyards; and (short pause) the blind woman of great sight, who preaches at the well in the village square. These three and no more.

The King: (Tenderly) I do not know how I know, but I believe you are of The Lord and The Lord speaks through you. I will do as you ask.

Samuel: Make haste, for the time is now, both in this present time and in the future.

The King: We will go. (The king rises and takes the boy by the hand and hastens off stage right.) (Fade out.)

SCENE IV

SCENE: (Fade in.) (The well at the village square. The blind woman of great sight is preaching at the well about the destruction of the future. A half dozen townspeople walking about trying not to look at her. Three other townspeople standing in front of her listening to her words. She feels her way around as she moves about the well.)

Blind Woman: (Waving her arms and pointing to the townspeople…very dramatically) Hear me, o you who have thought The Lord your God was blind to your sin. Even I can see your sin, a blind woman sent to see into your hearts and compel you to humble yourself before your Creator.

(The King and Samuel walk into the village square from stage right)

If your hearts do not change, you will become apathetic toward your sin and you will bring judgment upon yourselves. You will destroy yourselves, by your own hand. You will allow evil, selfish people to lead. Asleep you will be, slumbering in your own selfishness. Come to God before it is too late!

Samuel: (Samuel approaches the blind woman.) May I…(The blind woman interrupts Samuel)

Blind Woman: (The blind woman places her left hand on Samuel’s right shoulder) I’ve been waiting for you. The time is at hand. Let us collect the other prayer warriors and hasten to the pool at Edendorth. (Samuel grabs the blind woman’s hand and leads her off stage left with the king following behind)

(Two townspeople walk down stage center and talk among themselves.)

Townsperson 1: (Middle age man. Concerned. Points to the sky) The sky looks like it is burning. I feel that my soul is on fire. For the first time, I could hear her words and they did not sound strange to me. I will speak with The Lord tonight in prayer.

Townsperson 2: (Middle age woman. Not concerned.) You must have had too much to drink. She’s a crazy, blind woman, who has lost her mind.

Townsperson 1: All I know is my heart’s on fire and I need to speak with The Lord. If the time is at hand, I want to be ready! (Fade out.)

SCENE V

SCENE: (Fade in.) (The Blood Orchard Vineyards. A mother and her daughter are together in a cabin late at night. The mother is rocking back and forth in her rocking chair knitting, while her daughter is sitting beside her on the floor thinking. There is a knock at the door from off stage right. The girl, about 12 years old, rises and goes off stage right for 5 seconds and returns with The King, Samuel and the blind woman.

The King: (As the king walks in he speaks to the woman in the chair, who having seen that it is the king, gets on her knees and bows before him.) Woman, you do not need to bow to me. Rise, I must ask something of you.

Mother: Anything, Sire. (Still kneeling.) 

The King: Get up! Get up and stand in front of me. (The woman rises with head bowed and stands in front of the king.)

Mother: Yes, your Sovereign Lordship.

The King: I understand your daughter Ashley is wise beyond her years and is a prayer warrior.

Mother: Yes, but how did your Lordship know of this?

The King: A servant of The Lord told this to me. We have need of her for a day or two to help pray us through a mission we are on, which is directed by The Lord through His most Holy Spirit. I will look after her and guarantee her safety. 

Mother: If it was anyone else, Sire, I would not consent. But I know you are a man of honor who seeks wisdom and have dealt righteously with us your servants, so I will gather our things and we will be ready shortly. (Samuel tugs at the king’s robes and gestures for him to bend over to whisper something in his ear. The king bends over and Samuel speaks to him softly. The king rises up and speaks again to Ashley’s mother.)
 
The King: I’m sorry my lady, but the child must come alone. I will protect and look after her. No harm will come to her. You have my word. (The mother stands silently for a moment and then nods her head, showing obedience to the king’s wishes.)

(The mother hugs her daughter and walks off stage left.)

Blind Woman: (Speaking to Ashley) Well, I finally have a chance to meet you. I hear good things about you.

Ashley: From whom?

Blind Woman: From The Lord. He searches far and wide for an obedient soul, whom He can bless with such wisdom. (Ashley looks down.) I see you are troubled. Are you afraid of leaving your home and your mother?

Ashley: How can you see that I’m troubled? Are you not blind?

Blind Woman: I see through the eyes of The Holy Spirit, who is not blind. (Fade out.)

SCENE VI

SCENE: (Fade in.) (On the road to Chattatook, through the Black Forest, where witches practise their black magic.)

The King: (Walking from stage left to right wiping his brow, expressing fatigue.) We’ve been on the road to Chattatook for hours. How much longer before we reach Vespra’s cottage?

Samuel: Not far, two or three miles.

The King: I’m not as young as I used to be.

Blind Woman: Who is!

Ashley: I always wanted to meet Vespra, ever since I was a little girl.

Blind Woman: Being twelve now, that must have been for some time.

Samuel: I feel something. (Samuel halts and reaches his hands out toward stage right.) Something dark. (Says suddenly.) We have company.

Demon: (A black robed figure steps out from stage right. It is a demon in female form, whose face is obscured from view.) Hello children, out playing in the black forest. You could get lost out here, or worse. Well king, I thought you would be dead by now.

Samuel: What do you want, demon from hell?

Demon: Such boldness child, it may be your undoing.

Samuel: What do you want?

Demon: I know of your mission and I’m afraid I cannot let you pass. (Pulls out a sword) Your deaths will be swift and painless…well, swift.

Blind Woman: Why are all of Satan’s servants so blind? Oh, that’s right, you’re in darkness!

Demon: An old man, a blind woman and two children…it seems your Lord sent you out without sufficient arms to defend yourself.

Blind Woman: We have all the arms we need. (Samuel moves to the blind woman’s left, putting her arm up on her shoulder and looking straight at the demon. Then Ashley moves around to the blind woman’s right and puts her arm up on the blind woman’s other shoulder, staring at the demon.)
By the power of The Most High God, (raises both hands to the sky) I beseech you to clear our path from those in darkness, who would hinder us your servants. (As she speaks the demon is slowly forced to her knees, as if some unseen force is driving the demon down.) We are not alone, as this servant of darkness is now finding out, for we are never alone. (Points to the demon and speaks.) As the servant of the Most High God, I cast you out, servant of Satan (The demon who is down on her knees, has her arms forced behind her back by an unseen presence and is raised to her feet.) Be gone and never return!

Demon: (With arms behind her back, the demon is pulled off stage by unseen hands. Says the following, while being dragged off stage right.) You haven’t heard the last of this!

Blind Woman: (Quick response.) I haven’t heard the first of it!

The King: (Pause and then the king speaks, astonished and shaken.) I could not tell by your appearance the power that lay within you.

Blind Woman: We see through different eyes.

Samuel: Let us hasten. We have already been hindered too long. (They walk with a sense of urgency off stage right.) (Fade out.)

SCENE VII

SCENE: (Vespra’s cottage. Vespra is sitting by the fire throwing small sticks into it for warmth. There is a knock at the door. She gets up and goes off stage left to answer it.)

The King: (Walks into cottage and speaks to the old woman.) Madam, I must speak with you. I have heard that you are a prayer warrior. We have need of your services. We are on a journey to prevent the destruction of mankind, sent by The Lord. I would ask you to come with us and help us.

Vespra: (Despondent and puzzled) I am an old woman, who cannot afford food and too weak to gather sticks for my fire to keep warm. How is it I can help you?

Samuel: It was shown to me that you are strong in spirit, but have little faith in yourself. This journey will be good for you and will add to our strength. Please come.

Vespra: (Ponders for a moment, looks down and then speaks.) Let me get my cloak. (She goes to the fireplace and gets an old looking cloak from off a hook to the right of the fireplace. After putting it on, she walks up to the king and stares at his face.) Have I not seen you before, a long time ago? You look familiar to me.

The King: I do not remember ever having seen you before, Madam.

Vespra: I see something familiar in your eyes. You remind me of a young man, who used to hunt in the black forest many years ago and would visit me afterwards with fresh killed quail or deer. I would cook it with fresh baked bread and we would eat, laugh and make merry till evening. Some nights, he would stay till dawn. All I remember of him was that his name was John. He never told me more of himself and after several years he stopped coming. (Saddened.) It broke my heart to never hear from him again and yet, I see him in your eyes.

The King: Madam, my name is John. (He stares into her eyes for a moment and then shock takes hold of him. It was me…(Tears begin to flow followed by a release of emotion.) It was me…I was the one that…(He begins to weep.)…that came to see you so long ago. (He grabs her arms and she begins to cry.)

Vespra: (She shakes her head as she cries and says…) Why did you leave me without a word. I died inside when you left. I never married, hoping one day you would return to me. (They hug each other, both in tears.)

The King: I was the prince and my father was ill. I told him of you and that I was in love with you and wanted to ask you to become my wife. He forbade me to marry a commoner. I secretly continued to see you, while on hunting trips. One day suddenly, my father died and I was crowned king. The royal guards were immediately posted to me and I was never outside the kingdom without them. I wanted to see you, but we were in conflict with neighboring lands. I spent the following decades trying to keep our people out of war. Afterwards, I assumed you moved on and had married. I did not know what to say to you, so I learned to live with the pain. Of late, I have been ill and my thoughts have been on who will succeed me.

Vespra: I still love you, John. I am blessed that The Lord has seen fit to let me see you one more time before I die.

Samuel: (Tugging at the king’s robes.) I hate to interrupt, but we must go.

The King: Forgive me Vespra.

Vespra: There is nothing to forgive. You gave my life meaning and filled my heart with love. My life has revolved around you even in your absence. (They kiss.) (Fade out.)

SCENE VIII

SCENE: (Fade in.) (The road to Edendorth. Vespra is walking lovingly at the side of the king, who has his arm around her, giving her support as she walks.)

Ashley: How much further to Edendorth?

Samuel: Not far.

Ashley: What will we do when we get there?

Samuel: Something that has never been done before, at least, not on this earth.

Vespra: (Says to the king.) Samuel is an amazing boy.

The King: I have seen a lot of amazing things most recently and it all began when I met Samuel. He (Emphasize the word is.) is an amazing child.

Vespra: Who are his parents?

The King: (Ponders for a moment.) I don’t know. That was never told to me. Samuel, who are…(The king is interrupted by three men approaching.) 

Highwayman 1: (The highwayman in the middle of three speaks to the group. He is rough looking and sarcastic.) Well, what do we have here? The old, the young and the blind! Don’t you know there are thieves out along this road?

Blind Woman: Like yourselves?

Highwayman 1: (The highwaymen all three pulls out knives.) For that, you will be blind and mute, ’cause I will cut out your tongue! (The highwayman moves toward the blind woman and grabs her by the blouse and begins to hold the knife to her throat.)

The King: I am the king. Cease this treachery at once.

Highwayman 1: (Looks back to his gang of cut throats and laughs.) Why, it is the king! After killing these poor misfortunates, we can hold him for ransom. I wonder how much we can get.

Braedeth: (Pronounced Braydeth, an unknown protector, runs toward the highwaymen from stage left and kicks the highwayman standing on the right in the stomach, sending him backward to the ground. She quickly moves to the highwayman standing on the left, grabs him by both ears and knees him in the groin, then places her hand on his forehead and pushes him backward to the ground. She then moves behind the highwayman holding a knife to the blind woman’s throat, and grabs his hair with her left hand, pulling his head back, then puts her right hand on the hand that he is holding the knife with, turns the blade toward his own throat and says to him.) Pain! That is what you can get. Pain, and if you’re unlucky…death. Would you like that? I can arrange it! (She kicks him in the back of his thighs and throws him to the ground. 

(The first highwayman that she kicked in the stomach gets up and grabs her from behind. She elbows him in the face with her right elbow, grabs him by the hair and flips him to the ground in front of her. The second highwayman whom she grabbed by the ears moves toward her with a knife. She cries out with a warriors yell and punches him in the face, then knocks him back to the ground with a spinning back kick. 
The highwayman, who first had the knife to the blind woman’s throat, rises up from off the ground. Before he has done anything, she moves in front of him and pounds him with a series of punches to the face and stomach, then she grabs his head with both of her hands and head bunts him to the nose. He grabs his nose and says.)

Highwayman 1: My nose, you broke it!

Braedeth: Oh, that’s a shame. Next time, I’ll aim lower. (The highwaymen grab their knives and runs off stage left.)

Ashley: (Excited.) You kicked their…(She is interrupted.)

Samuel: Personage. I think that says it.

The King: My lady, we are in your debt. How can we repay you?

Braedeth: Finish your quest! All depends on it.

Ashley: Are you an angel?

Braedeth: What makes you say that?

Ashley: I can see angels.

Braedeth: Why, you know that all angels are boys.

Ashley: (Smiling from ear to ear and shaking her head from side to side.) I don’t think so. (Fade out.)

ACT II

SCENE I

SCENE: (Fade in.) (The pool at Edendorth. The king, Vespra, the blind woman, Ashley and Samuel are standing around a large pool of water in the center of the stage, surrounded by mountain stone and is approximately four feet in circumference.)

The King: What do we do now?

Samuel: It is impossible for us to physically travel through time. However, we will use this pool of water as a conduit to speak to my descendant a thousand years from now. The scripture speaks of the voice of The Lord as the sound of many waters. Through the help of The Holy Spirit, we will communicate with the woman, who will become the leader of the most powerful nation of the world, who is my descendant.

Ashley: What will you say?

Samuel: I will tell her not to take that position of leadership and leave it to lesser men. Although she is brilliant, she is selfish, which is the core of evil and will make a deal with the devil to rule the earth.

Ashley: What if she won’t listen?

Samuel: Then we will do what we have to do.

Vespra: Do you want us to join hands and pray for you?

Samuel: No. I want you three to protect me while I deliver the message to the future. Ashley, you can see into the spiritual realm. You can see demons and spiritual darkness as well as light. You will stand up on the far left side of the pool stone encasement. When you see the darkness come, you will point to where you see it. Vespra, you will stand behind her (pointing to the blind woman) and point her toward the darkness. And you, (pointing to the blind woman) will speak against the darkness, while I communicate with my descendant.

The King: What may I do?

Samuel: You have done it. Are we ready?

Blind Woman, Vespra and Ashley: (Speaking together.) Yes.

(Ashley goes to the back of the stone encasement and stands up on it and starts to look around. Vespra goes to the blind woman and puts her hand on her shoulder standing behind her. The king moves toward Samuel and puts his hand on her shoulder.)

Samuel: We begin. (Fade out.)

SCENE II

SCENE: (An executive suite in a deluxe accommodations hotel in our time. The aid to the president elect walks into the hotel room from stage left with a notepad, checking off items on a list.)

Presidential Aid: (A female executive, always busy.) Madam president elect, we need to leave in 10 minutes to get to the motorcade. The swearing in is in one hour.

President Elect: (Speaking from off stage left) I’ll be ready. Go downstairs to the lobby and make sure (President elect walking into the room from stage left. She is putting on an earring as she is talking.) the luggage is in the car behind mine. Also, contact my husband and tell him to get his butt over here now. He is not going to be late to the most important day of my life.

Presidential Aid: Very good. 

(The aid leaves the room stage right. The president elect pulls out a cell phone, punches in numbers and then puts it to her ear.)

President Elect: (She is pacing up and down while she is talking.) Bruce, where are you? I cannot use a chief of staff who I have to find on my inaugural day, finishing last minute details that should have been tied up days ago. Get over to the White House and prepare the blue room for the swearing in. Make sure everything is ready. 
(She hangs up the cell phone and puts it back into her pocket. There’s a knock at the door. The president elect walks off stage right and in a few seconds, walks back center stage with a strange looking woman, who is her medium and spiritualist.)
You took your time getting here. I need to know if there is anything I need to watch out for, that could wreck the swearing in ceremony. You have been my spiritualist now for over 5 years and everything I have worked for pays off today. Have you searched out the dark powers to see if there is anything that could hurt us?

Flavla: (Pronounced Flave-la, is a flamboyant spiritualist, who seeks the darker powers for guidance.) I have been troubled today. I have been seeing an image of a young boy in my mind and it is causing me great concern.

President Elect: If it’s not about me, I don’t care. What do you think about this outfit? Is it too conservative? What do you think?

Flavla: (With hands out stretched, she walks through the room, as if looking for something.) I feel something. A connection with the past or something, I can’t be sure. (While Flavla is talking, president elect is busy walking around the hotel room, adjusting her clothes and not paying her much mind.) I couldn’t sleep last night. I woke up after a doozy of a dream. I was in a forest and there were witches everywhere, doing some hocus-pocus and a bunch of nonsense like that. (The president elect walks over to a nightstand with an ancient looking bowl on it filled with water. She walks over to it to splash some water on her face and just stares into it while Flavla continues to babble.) And there was this blind woman and she was waving her hands going (waving her hands demonstrating the action.) woooooooo, casting out things here and there…

President Elect: (Interrupting.) Can you come and see this?

Flavla: Water, I’ve seen it hundreds of times. Well anyway, there was this band of travelers walking…

President Elect: (Interrupting again.) Let me put it another way. (Screams at her.) Get over here now!

Flavla: Okay. Okay. No need to get huffy. (Flavla walks over to the nightstand and looks into the bowl and screams.) That’s the boy…the boy I was telling you about, in my dreams last night!

President Elect: (Speaking slow and steady) Alright, this must have some meaning. What do you think it means? (No fade out. This playing area continues on. In the next scene, there will be two playing areas at the same time.)

SCENE III

SCENE: (At this point, the lights fade in at the pool of Edendorth with Samuel looking into the pool as when we left him. Ashley is standing on the backside of the stone encasement; Vespra has her hand on the blind woman’s shoulder while standing behind her and the king is standing behind Samuel with his hand on his shoulder.)

(Both scenes are lighted at the same time, the pool at Edendorth and the hotel room. 

(The pool at Edendorth)

Samuel: I see something in the waters. It is the face of a woman.

(The hotel room)

President Elect: I see the face of a boy wearing a brown robe with hood.

Flavla: You shouldn’t see this. (Flavla hastens off stage left and comes back with an umbrella waving it in the air. She moves toward the nightstand.) I’m going to smash it. It will harm your destiny.

(The pool at Edendorth)

Ashley: (Points to the left.) I see something, over there! (Vespra guides the blind woman’s hands in the direction where Ashley was pointing.)

Blind Woman: (Says slowly) Sleep demon, (Says even slower) sleep.

(The hotel room)

Flavla: (Walks deliberate toward the nightstand) Move out of the way, so I can…(Walks slower for a few steps, then falls as she says.) I feel tired. (Flavla passes out and falls to the ground.) 

President Elect: (Looking back into the bowl she says) Who are you?

(The pool at Edendorth)

Samuel: (Speaks into the pool) I am your ancestor, a thousand years before your present time. I have an urgent warning for you from The Lord.

(The hotel room)

President Elect: (Startled) What is it?

(The pool at Edendorth)

Samuel: You must not assume the leadership role you are about to take.

(The hotel room)

President Elect: Why?

(The pool at Edendorth)

Samuel: You have sought the dark powers to overcome your enemies and take this position of power. Now that you are about to receive it, he will want something from you. (Short pause.) Your soul. The devil does not give freely. He wants things in return.

(The hotel room)

President Elect: (Confused.) What must I do?

(The pool at Edendorth)

Samuel: (Definite.) Relinquish your power to a lesser man.

(The hotel room)

President Elect: No!

(The pool at Edendorth)

Samuel: (Definite.) You must! This is not only about you, but it is also about the destruction of the world!

(The hotel room)

President Elect: (Speaks skeptically and defiant.) I will not give up the very thing I’ve sought all these years! The dark powers do my bidding. They do not control me!

(The pool at Edendorth)

Samuel: Shortly after taking power, he, The Lord of Darkness will take possession of your soul. He will rule in your body.

Ashley: (Watching fervently.) I see another one. (Looks about and then spots another demon.) 

Samuel: (Says into the pool) Wait! 

Ashley: It’s over there! (She points upstage left. Vespra turns the blind woman’s body in that direction and lifts her arm in that direction.)

(A third playing area fades in. It is the hall outside the hotel room. A waiter is bringing a tray loaded down with items, such as a pitcher, a covered dish, glasses etc. to the hotel room.)

Blind Woman: Demon who would interrupt, have a nice trip. See you in the fall.

(After the blind woman speaks, the waiter trips, falls to the ground, dropping what he was carrying with a loud crash. Five seconds later, fade out.)

(The hotel room)

President Elect: What was that!

(The pool at Edendorth)

Samuel: A prevented distraction. You must heed my warning, for yourself and the world!

(The hotel room)

President Elect: I will not! (Leery) Who are you really? I have done a genealogical search into my background and I know of no one in my lineage who was named Samuel.  There was a Samantha, who was of a royal bloodline a millennium ago, but I do not remember seeing a Samuel. So, who are you really?

(The pool at Edendorth)

Samuel: I am she. I am Samantha (She removes her hood to reveal she is a girl to the shock of all in her company.)

(The hotel room)

President Elect: Be that as it may, I am more powerful than any kings or world leaders. I have a destiny greater than you or anyone who has ever lived! (More emphatic.) You cannot stop me! (Abrupt.) This conversation is ended! (The president elect hits the bowl of water, knocking it to the floor, spilling the water.) (Fade out.)

SCENE IV

SCENE: (Fade in.) (The blue room in the White House. A Chief Justice, who is an older gentleman, is standing at a podium, speaking into a mike. There is a curtain behind him. He is speaking forward to the audience.)

Chief Justice: (Looking off stage left as he speaks.) Will you come to the podium to be sworn in? (The president elect walks out onto the stage and moves to stage left of the podium.) Will you raise your right hand? (She raises her right hand.) Repeat after me. I do solemnly swear…

President Elect: I do solemnly swear…

Chief Justice: …that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…

President Elect: …that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States…

Chief Justice: …and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend…

President Elect: …and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend…

Chief Justice: …the Constitution of the United States…

President Elect: …the Constitution of the United States…

Chief Justice: …so help me God!

President Elect: …so (Short pause.) help (Short pause.) me…(Immediate blackout, a gun shot is heard.)

Chief Justice: (Use the townspeople in Act I scene IV to create a frantic audio confusion from off stage after the gun shot. The chief justice speaks in the darkness. Frantic.) The president elect has been shot! Call an ambulance! (Sound effect of an ambulance siren growing louder then fading. Fade out.)

SCENE V

SCENE: (Fade in.) (The throne room of the castle. Once dark, now lively and bright. The throne room is filled with townspeople and extras in their best attire.)

Chief Administrator: (Walks onto stage to the left of backstage center. He has a scroll that he unravels and reads from.) Ladies and gentlemen of the kingdom, it is my great pleasure to introduce to you, King John and Queen Vespra. (They walk in from stage right to backstage center, then to upstage center and bows to the audience. Then they walk to upstage left and stands.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, The Court Jester and the king’s maidservant. (As the king and queen presented themselves, the following will do likewise. They walk in from stage right to backstage center, then to upstage center and bows to the audience. Then they walk to upstage left and stands.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, Ashley and the blind woman. (They walk in from stage right to backstage center, then to upstage center and bows to the audience. Then they walk to upstage left and stands.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the narrator and the demon in the forest. (They walk in from stage right to backstage center, then to upstage center and bows to the audience. Then they walk to upstage left and stands.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the highwaymen. (They walk in from stage right to backstage center, then to upstage center and bows to the audience. Then they walk to upstage left and stands.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, Braedeth. (She walks in from stage right to backstage center, then to upstage center and bows to the audience. Then she walks to upstage left and stands.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, myself the Chief Administrator and the mother of Ashley. (The chief administrator bows from where he is standing and remains there. The mother of Ashley walks in from stage right to backstage center, then to upstage center and bows to the audience. Then she walks to upstage left and stands.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the president elect and her aid. (They walk in from stage right to backstage center, then to upstage center and bows to the audience. Then they walk to upstage left and stands.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the Chief Justice and Flavla. (They walk in from stage right to backstage center, then to upstage center and bows to the audience. Then they walk to upstage left and stands.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, the townspeople of the kingdom. (The townspeople and extras join hands and walk up stage center and take a bow at the same time. Then the townspeople and the cast split in the middle and stand in a row on both sides of center stage reaching all the way back to the back of the stage with the chief administrator in sight of the audience.)

Chief Administrator: Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you, Lady Samantha, the royal heir to the kingdom. (Samantha walks in from stage right to backstage center in a beautiful royal gown, very much the lady, with beautiful hair and a pleasant smile. She walks down to front stage center with the entire cast closing in around her. The entire cast takes a bow together. After 10 seconds, fade out.)

The End

Copyright © 2007 Mark Edgemon, all rights reserved. 
This script may not be reproduced, translated or copied in any medium, including books, CDs and on the Internet, without written permission of the author.
This play may be performed free of charge, on the condition that copies are not sold for profit in any medium, nor any entrance fee charged. In exchange for free performance, the author would appreciate being notified of when and for what purpose the play is performed. He may be contacted at:   markedgemon@comcast.net