: No, I don’t know anything about it.
HAYNES
: Five hundred thousand years.
FRANK
: That’s a long time.
HAYNES
: It is. The most carcinogenic substance known to man. It causes mutations in the genes of the reproductive cells. The eggs and the sperm. Major mutations. A
kind of random compulsory genetic engineering that goes on and on and on and on.
FRANK
: That would probably affect my heifers then, wouldn’t it?
HAYNES
: Yes, it would, Frank. It definitely would affect your heifers. It would affect every heifer within six hundred miles of here. It would penetrate the food chain and bio-accumulate thousands of times over, lasting generation after generation. Tasteless, odorless, and invisible.
FRANK
: Is that what this is all about, Graig? Is that why you had to come out here? This random, compulsory genetic thing?
(Long pause. HAYNES stares out window.)
HAYNES
: Looks like your man is back.
FRANK
: What?
HAYNES
: Your stranger. Is that him down there?
FRANK
: I never saw him. What’s he doing?
(FRANK moves fast to window, looks out.)
HAYNES
: That’s probably him.
FRANK
: What’s he doing down there?
HAYNES
: Looks like he’s walking around with your heifers.
FRANK
: In the pen? He’s in the pen with my heifers?
HAYNES
: Looks like. Isn’t he right inside there with them?
FRANK
: I’ll be right back.
HAYNES
: Be careful, Frank. You don’t know this guy.
(FRANK rushes out on porch, grabs his coat, and exits. HAYNES watches him cross window outside. EMMA appears in half-light of archway by kitchen. She just stands there staring at HAYNES. HAYNES turns toward her. Pause.)
What’s that dripping sound?
EMMA
: The plants. I overwater them. I can’t help myself.
(HAYNES smiles. He reaches out and touches one of EMMAs plants. Again, the brilliantly bright flash of blue light comes from his hand. HAYNES jumps back. Black out.)
Scene Two
Same set: Next morning. EMMA going through same routine—watering plants, back and forth to the sink with the pitcher HAYNES sits on couch with his back partially to audience, sipping coffee, watching EMMA. Pause for a while as EMMA just waters and HAYNES just sips.
EMMA
: (
continuing to water
) You’re up bright and early.