Captain Tory

SCENE ONE



Student: (reading) He swung the lantern three times and slowly the schooner appeared.



(Adrian and The lad enter)



Student: Adrian could hardly think straight. He had put so much planning into this moment. (Flashback begins) He and Cicely, his love...



(Cicely enters)



Student: ...had just about had everything they needed and wanted. But Adrian's friend, a captain by the name of Tory...



(Tory enters)



Student: ...had seen Cicely and instantly knew that there couldn't be a more beautiful woman he'd ever meet. And he knew that he had to have her, even if he lost his friend in the process.



(Man enters as Adrian and The lad exit)



Student: Tory made the necessary arrangements...



Tory: Sir, you will send word as soon as Adrian and his apprentice have left the city?



Man: Yes, sir.



Student: With that, he kidnapped Cicely and ran off in the night.



(Tory and Cicely exit, the man exiting as Adrian enters with The lad)



Adrian: Oh, that devil!



Lad: Sir?



Adrian: Find the man at the bar and have him know I need to speak with him...



Lad: Yes, sir...



(The lad exits and enters after a moment with the man)



Man: I don't know what you're talking about, sir.



Student: But, with bribery, Adrian convinced the man at the bar to give him the details and, with a little more money, got him to betray Tory as well...



(Adrian and The lad exit)



Man: (writing a letter to Tory) Captain... Adrian and the boy have left the city in search for you and the lady. They plan to sail the west coast, so keep away from there until I write otherwise.



(He exits) (Cicely and Tory enter)



Tory: My dear, it is safe to return.



Cicely: It's been too long since I've seen my Adrian. For sure when I see him I will fall for him...



Tory: Nonsense, he and that lad are at sea.



Cicely: I want to see him.



Tory: It won't do. My old friend has probably changed for the worse since you last saw him anyways. It simply wouldn't be safe.



Cicely: Tory, you're awful.



Tory: Perhaps I am. Come along.



(They exit) (Man and Adrian enter)



Man: When you swing this lantern three times, the captain will go ahead and dock his ship.



Adrian: Good... My friend, I will see you at the bar later. The Captain and my love will be there?



Man: If Captain Tory keeps his word, that is the plan.



Adrian: Thank you, sir.



(They exit) (End of flashback)



SCENE TWO



Student: Adrian and the lad crept quietly through the brush, while Tory and Cicely were going the same way.



(Adrian and The lad enter from one side) (Cicely and Tory enter from the other side. The two groups do not see each other.)



Lad: (seeing Cicely) Cissy!



Adrian: Hush! (Clamps his hand over The lad's mouth and holds him still.)



(Cicely looks up at the noise, sees them, and gasps. Adrian shakes his head at her then tries to hide himself from Tory, who has just looked over at where they are but cannot see them in the dark.)



Tory: What?



Cicely: Nothing. Just an animal... Well, come on then. Let's go.



(Tory and Cicely exit)



Adrian: (releasing The lad) Oh, you just about ruined this all...


Lad: Sorry, sir.



Adrian: I don't think he saw us.


Lad: No, sir. He didn't see us...



Adrian: By luck...



Lad: ...but Cissy did.



Adrian: Yes, I know. Well, let's go.



(They exit)



SCENE THREE



(Cicely and Tory enter)



Man: Oh, Captain, you've arrived.



Tory: Yes, could we have some drinks?



Man: Yes, sir. (exits)



Tory: You look troubled, dear.



Cicely: Distracted.



(man enters with drinks)

Tory: Nothing a little drink can't fix.



Man: Here, miss. Sir.



Cicely: Ah, thank you. I very much needed this. (drinks)



Tory: (sarcastically) Oh, how very ladylike, Cicely.



Cicely: Cheers.



(as they drink, Adrian and The lad enter)



Lad: Sir... temper.



Adrian: I know, I know. I'm fine. (to man) A drink for me.



Lad: (to the man, trying to not let Adrian hear) One for me, too.



Adrian: None for the boy.



(man exits)



Cicely: (has just finished taking a long swig and sits up to see Adrian) Oh, no...



Tory: What? (looks over, Adrian has ducked but the boy not down in time.)



Cicely: (Stammering, trying to think of an excuse) I... ehh... I...



Tory: I know that boy...



Cicely: Surely just a...



Tory: That's Adrian's apprentice. (he stands)



Cicely: Tory...



Tory: (grabs The lad) Where is your master?



Lad: Please, sir... I've done nothing to harm you!



Cicely: Let him go, Tory.



Tory: Where is Adrian? Answer me, boy, where is your master?



Lad: I, uh, he... Sir!



Cicely: Tory! (she slaps Tory)



Adrian: (stands and puts himself between Tory and the lad) Cicely!



Cicely: Adrian!



Tory: Adrian.



(Cicely grabs the lad and pulls him away from the two men.)



Adrian: Nice to see you again, my friend.



Tory: Not so much. What do you want?



Adrian: (slaps him for good measure) What do you think? (They both look at Cicely and the lad)



Tory: The boy? (Adrian throws a punch at him but he ducks out of the way) Saw it coming this time.



Adrian: You haven't changed a bit.



Tory: I have.



Adrian: I meant, you're still an arrogant smart mouth.



Tory: Oh, cold.



Adrian: Give Cicely to me.



Tory: You'd best ask your lad for her, not me. Seems I don't have her anymore.



Adrian: I suppose then you wouldn't mind me taking her and leaving...



Tory: Don't be stupid. Of course I'd mind you stealing my girl.



Adrian: Your girl?



Cicely: What?



Lad: Sir, temper!



Cicely: Tory...



Adrian: When did this happen?



Cicely: (pulls the lad back, as he was getting up) No, no, stay here.



Lad: Mater, or, uh, Adrian has developed a bit of a temper since you left...



Cicely: Oh?



Tory: We were just coming here to settle down when... wait... where's the man?



Cicely: What man?



Tory: The... oh, that... (he exits, then enters with the man)



Man: What? Captain, I...



Tory: Traitor! (throws the man to the ground)



Cicely: Tory! (tries to restrain him but is shrugged off, then grabs him by the shoulders) Tory! Can you see yourself?



(They are all silent for a moment.)



Tory: (to man) Get up.



(Man exits)



Lad: (Whisper, to Cicely) Looks like Adrian's not the only one with a temper these days.



Cicely: You wouldn't be wrong about that... (To the others) I know what we can do. Adrian, Tory... why do you love me?



Tory: Well, you're the most beautiful woman I've met!



Adrian: And I love you because... (looks distracted) I... that's it? That's all you can find when you look at Cicely? Well, if that's all you're looking for in women, I can show you a list of places you can find women lovelier than her, looks only, but with nothing else but that!



Cicely: Well, uh, I don't want to upset anyone right now... so I'll wait until tomorrow to make my choice. We will meet tomorrow morning, here.



Adrian: Wait. How do I know you won't run away in the night again? I should take Cicely with me so you don't leave with her.



Cicely: Alright...



Tory: In that case, I'll take the lad so you two won't leave either.



Lad: Alright... (to Adrian) You'll stay, right?



Adrian: Of course, of course.



Cicely: Then it's settled.



(Tory and the lad exit)



Adrian: Alright, you have your things on his ship? What's the closest town from here, do you think, that we could get to within a day? (continues to ramble)



Cicely: We're not leaving!



Adrian: But I won, right?



Cicely: Well, sure, I guess... but-



Adrian: Okay then! So, we leave now before Tory gets angry.



Cicely: He has the boy.



Adrian: Let him keep the boy. Sure, he's not as pretty as you are but he's enough company.



Cicely: No, no! We're staying ‘til morning.



Adrian: Tory'll get violent when he loses.



Cicely: Then we'll leave quickly.



Adrian: Fine, fine.



(they exit)



SCENE FOUR



(Adrian and Cicely enter)



Adrian: Okay, so when they come, you tell ‘em, we take the lad, we run.



Cicely: Right.



Adrian: Good.



(Tory and the lad enter)



Lad: Morning.



Cicely: Morning. (She and the lad talk quietly, pulling back to allow Adrian and Tory to talk)



Tory: Alright, Adrian. Let's set up some guidelines. Whoever Cicely picks is not going to be harmed in any way by the loser.



Adrian: The loser can't say anything to the winner. Let's shake on it.



(They shake)



Tory: We'll see who she fancies more.



Adrian: Cicely!



Cicely: Tory, Adrian... both of you are very honorable men (Adrian and Tory may react however) and choosing was difficult. My things are set, yes?



Tory: Yes, they are ready outside the room.



Cicely: And the transportation?



Adrian: Yes, and payed for too.



Cicely: Wonderful. (she backs up, grabs the lad's hand) Let's go!



(They exit, running)



(There is a pause.)



Tory: We really should've seen that coming.



Adrian: Damn kid.



Tory: I mean, really.



Adrian: His voice hasn't even changed yet!



Tory: This is a little embarrassing.



Adrian: Huh.



Tory: Huh.



Adrian: Let's go.



Tory: Huh.



(They exit) (Characters re-enter and begin to act out what Student is saying, much like the flashback at the beginning of the scene)



Student: The lad and Cicely went to sea, but found that they hadn't planned quite as much as they thought they had, as they didn't know where to sail to, so they decided to become pirates instead. (Cicely and the Lad exit) Adrian and Tory regained their previous friendship, though they made an oath to never get into a serious relationship with anyone again. Which they both found a little hard to keep up... (Adrian and Tory exchange glances and run after Girl, who has just exited)



(puts down book) Huh.