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(This Nearly Was Mine)
Act 11 Scene 6-Page 108
(Radio Shack; Macaffrey is radio officer and Bracket is listening to the lowed speaker)
- (Brackett: excitedly)
- What’s that? What’s that?
- (He becomes aware that McCaffrey can’t hear him and pokes him)What was that?
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McCaffrey: That was …nothing sir.
- Sounded to me like someone trying to send a message.
- Sounded like code.
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McCaffrey: That’s not code sir. That sound you just heard wasthe contraction of the tin roof. It’s the metal cooling off at night.
Oh!
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McCaffrey: Sir, if you’d like to go back to your office, I’ll let you know as soon as…
- No no, I’ll stay right here.
- I don’t want to add to
your problems.
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McCaffrey: Yes sir.
- We ought to be getting a message now.
- We ought to be getting a message that’s all.
- They’d have time to land and establish some sort of an
- observation post by now. Don't you think?(He realizes McCaffrey cannot here him.)
- Oh!
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Harbison: Captain Brackett?
- Yeah, what is it? What is it?
- Don’t interrupt me now, Bill.
- I’m very busy.
-
Harbison: It’s about this Seabee out here sir, Billis.
Commander Perkins over in Operations estimates that Billis’ act this morning
cost the Navy over six hundred thousand dollars.
- Six hundred….
- By God I’m going to chew that guy’s ass..
- Send him in here!
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Harbison: Yes sir.
(Taps McCaffrey on the shoulder)
- Let me know the moment you get a word.
- No matter what I’m doing,
- Just break right in.
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MacCaffrey: Yes sir.
(Enter Billis, Adams and Harbison)
Harbison: Get in there! Captain Brackett, this is Lieutenant
Buzz Adams, who flew the mission. (Adams solutes)
H’h’a Adams
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Adams: Captain.
- One man like you in and outfit, is like one rotten apple in a barrel.
- Just what did you feel like sitting there all day long,
- in that little rubber boat, in the middle of the Empress Augusta Bay.
- With the whole dame Navy Air Force trying to rescue you?
- And how the hell can you fall out of a PBY anyway?
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Billis: Well, sir, the Jap ant-aircraft busted a hole in the side of the plan. And…I fell through –the wind just
sucked me out.
- (Pacing) So, I’m to understand that you deliberately hid, in the baggage compartment of a plane,
- that you knew was taking off on a very dangerous mission.
- You had sand enough to do that all right.
- And then the moment an ant-aircraft hit the plane….you fall out. The wind sucked you out – and you and your little parachute.
- I don’t think you fell out Billis. I think you jumped out.
- Which one was it?
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Billis: Well, sir….er…it was sort of half and half. If you get the picture.
This is one of the most humiliating things that ever happened to me.
- Adams!
- When did you discover he was on the plane?
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Adams: Well, sir, we’d been out about an hour. It was still dark, I know. Well, we were flying across the Marie Louise. The jap anti-aircraft spotted us and made that hit. That’s when Luther …er..this fellow here – that’s when he left the ship. I just circled once – time enough to drop him him a rubber boat. Some New Zealanders in P-40’s spotted him though and kept circling around him while I flew across the island and landed alongside the sub, let Joe and the Frenchman off. By the time I got back to the other other side of the island, our Navy planes were flying around in the air above this gy like a think swarm of bees.
(He grins)
-
They kept the Jap guns occupied while I slipped down the scooped him offthe rubber boat. You’d have thought this guy was a ninety-million-dollarcruiser they were out to protect. There must have been a fifty-sixty planes.:
Billis: Sixty-two.
- Your not fare off Adams.
- Harbison tell’s me this thing cost the Navy about
- Six hundred thousand dollars.
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Billis: (face lightening up) Six hundred thou……
What the hell are you so happy about?
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Billis: I was just thing about my uncle. Remember my uncle I was telling you about? He used to tell my bold man I’d never be worth a dime! Him and his lousy slot machines…Can you imagine the guy.
(Harbison scowls and Billis shuts up)
Why the hell did you do this anyway, Billis?
- What would make a man do a thing like this?
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Billis: (at attention) Well sir, a fellow has to keep on moving. You know, you get kind of held down. If you’re itching to take a trip to pick up a few souvenirs you, you to kind of horn it- if you get the picture.
How did you know about it?
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Billis: didn’t know about it exactly. It’s just when I heard Lt Cable talking to this fellow, de Becque, right away I know something’s in the air. A project. That’s what I like captain. Projects, don’t you?
Harbison: (fuming) Billis, you’ve broken every regulation in the book. And by god, Captain Brackett and I are going to throe it at you.
(Listening)
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Adams: Sir, may I budge in? My co-pipot whatched the whole thing, you know, and he thinks that this fellow Billis down there in the rubber boat with all those planes over him caused a kind of ….diversionary action. While all these Japs were busy shooting at the planes and at Billis, on the other side of the island, that sub was sliding into that little cove and depositing the Frenchman and Jo Cable inbehind those rocks.
- What the hell do you want me to do?
- Give the guy a Bronze Star?
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Billis: I don’t want a Bronze Star Captain, But I could use a little freedom. A little room to swing in, if
you know what I mean- If you get the picture.
(He looks at Brackett who is not amused then snaps to attention)
- Get out of here.
- (Billis crosses to the doe, then stops and turns to Brackett)
Get the hell out of here!
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Billis: Yes sir. (He exits)
- (to Harbison)
- Well “Iron Belly.”
- What would you have done?
- Well “Iron Belly.”
- What would you have done?
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Harbison: I’d have thrown him in the brig. And I will, too, if I get the ghost of a chance.(Suddenly MacAffrey gets excited and waves his arms at Brackett. Emile’s voice comes over the loudspeaker and they all focus on it.) Emile’s voice: And so we are here. This is our first chance to send nes to you. We have made contact with former friends of mine. We have set up quarters in a mango tree-no romm but a lovely view. First the weather, rain clouds ove bougainvill, The Treasures, Choiseul and New Gorger. We expect rain in the region from nine o’clock to two O’clock. Pardon? Oh-mu friend Joe corrects me. Oh-nine hundred for fourteen hundred. And now, our military experts , Joe.
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Cable’s voice; All you Navy Marine and Army pilots write this down, Surface craft- nine troop barges headed sown the bottleneck: speed about eleven knots. Ought to pass Banika at about twenty hundred hours tonight, escorted by heavy warships.
(Brackett and Harbison smile triumphantly)
As for aircraft there is very littloe indication of activity at the moment. But twenty-two bombers-betty-went by at 0600 headeding southwest. There was a fighterescort, not heavy…they should reach.
(Listening)
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Adams: (going to the door) Ho boy.
Harbison:Where you going?:
Adams: Don’t want to miss that takeoff. We’ll be going out in the waves tonight-waves.
(Music play and Brackett sits on a waste basket and opens a Coke)
- Sit down Bill.
- (Brackett hands him a Coke) Here.
- (They listen intensly)
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Harbison: Thanks.
You know what I like, Bill?
Projects { – don’t you?}
(Lights fade)
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