Read Online November by David Mamet - Free Book Online

He has watered the land with the blood of my tribe.
    BERNSTEIN: No doubt. But Dwight … I’m going to ask you, Dwight, to listen to the voice of reason.
    CHARLES: You listen to the voice of reason, Dwight.
    DWIGHT GRACKLE: You stole my land with honeyed words.
    BERNSTEIN: He didn’t steal your land.
    DWIGHT GRACKLE: His ancestors.
    CHARLES: My ancestors came from Lithuania.
    BERNSTEIN: His ancestors came from Lithuania, Dwight.
    DWIGHT GRACKLE: The weapon, having been unsheathed, cries out for blood.
    BERNSTEIN: No, you can resheathe the weapon, Dwight; no harm’s been done—give it to me.
    DWIGHT GRACKLE: Stand back …
    BERNSTEIN: Give me the blowpipe, Dwight.
    DWIGHT GRACKLE: Each of us owes the gods a death. Pay up, you chucklehead.
    BERNSTEIN: Stop! He’s the leader of the Free World!
    ( DWIGHT
puts the dart in the blowpipe and fires it
. BERNSTEIN
interposes herself between the assassin and the President. The dart hits her and she falls. A pause
.)
    BERNSTEIN: Oh, gosh …
    CHARLES: Bernstein …
    (
Pause
.)
    BERNSTEIN: Mister President …
    CHARLES: Bernstein, don’t die …
    BERNSTEIN: Mister President … My partner …
    CHARLES: Yes, Bernstein, yes.
    BERNSTEIN: My partner and I.
    CHARLES: Yes.
    BERNSTEIN: We …
    CHARLES: Bernstein …
    BERNSTEIN: We were going to vote for you.
    (
She dies. A pause
.)
    CHARLES: (
To
DWIGHT GRACKLE ) You sonofabitch.
YOU JUST COST ME TWO VOTES!!!
    DWIGHT GRACKLE: Oh, jeez.
    CHARLES: What have you done? With your warlike impulses.
    DWIGHT GRACKLE: I’m just that sorry …
    CHARLES: Everyone’s about to die from Bird Flu, awaiting some word of consolation, from their President, and my speechwriter’s dead.
    ARCHER: (
Pause
) Hey, life goes on …
    CHARLES: She took a poison dart for me.
    ARCHER:  … she’s a true patriot.
    (
The phone rings
. ARCHER
answers the phone
.)
    CHARLES: (
To self
) She gave up her life for her country …
    ARCHER: (
To phone
) What?
    CHARLES: Just like the Hist’ry books. Wow.
    ARCHER: (
Pause
) What? Say that again, please. Thank you. (
Pause
) The turkeys
aren’t
dead.
    CHARLES: What …?
    ARCHER: I beg your pardon, they
are
dead, but they didn’t die of Bird Flu.
    CHARLES: They’re “dead,” but they didn’t die of Bird Flu?
    ARCHER: No.
    CHARLES: What did they die of?
    ARCHER: They exploded.
    CHARLES: They “exploded”?
    ARCHER: The TV lights were too hot.
    CHARLES: Yes …
    ARCHER: And they’re all over the walls. They blew up.
    CHARLES: But it’s
not
Bird Flu?
    ARCHER: Wait wait wait wait
wait
: if it
were
Bird Flu, the voters would have to stay home. And you win.
    CHARLES:  … but it’s
not
Bird Flu.
    ARCHER: No. The lights or something were too hot, and they expanded. (
To phone
) Yep. Let’s go with “Bird Flu …”
    BERNSTEIN:  … but then people will be frightened.
    ARCHER: They’re gonna do just fine. Excuse me, why are you alive …?
    CHARLES: Bernstein …?
    BERNSTEIN: Sir?
    CHARLES: Why are you alive.
    DWIGHT GRACKLE: (
Reflectively
)… the poison has never failed.
    CHARLES:  … why …?
    DWIGHT GRACKLE: (
Similarly
) How has the white woman survived?
    ARCHER: Bernstein? How have you survived?
    BERNSTEIN: Uh, the dart struck my amulet.
    ( CHARLES
examines
BERNSTEIN. )
    CHARLES: The dart has struck her amulet. The Chinese amulet has saved her life.
    (
The phone rings
.)
    ARCHER: Yes.
    CHARLES: (
To self
)
Huh
…
    ARCHER: It’s the Secret Service, they’re back from their coffee break …
    CHARLES: The Chinese amulet signifying “love” has saved her life …
    (
Pause
.)
    ARCHER:  … and “are you okay”???
    CHARLES: Bernstein, you saved my life.
    BERNSTEIN: I can’t tell you how happy I am, Sir, to serve.
    CHARLES: I betrayed you, and yet, you risked your life for me.
    ARCHER: You had your life saved by a lesbian. Great. “In the midst of Bird Flu …”
    CHARLES: You risked your life for me, why?
    BERNSTEIN: Sir, you’re the President.
    CHARLES: I…
    BERNSTEIN: The people voted