: They? See—how many of them are there?
FRANK
: I don’t know.
EMMA
: It sounds like he’s being tortured.
FRANK
: He’s used to that.
EMMA
: I’m going down there!
FRANK
: No!
(FRANK grabs her but lets go immediately as another bolt of light comes from his arm. Pause. EMMA stares at him.)
EMMA
: Frank, the whole world can’t just suddenly get turned inside out like this overnight.
(The sounds of heavy, labored breathing, feet scraping against the basement staircase; a low moaning comes from basement. EMMA and FRANK stare in that direction. Slowly, WELCH appears in shirtsleeves coming up the stairs backward, pulling on a long black electrical cord apparently tied to something heavy at the bottom of the stairs.)
WELCH
: (
breathing heavily, pulling on cord
) This—this is what we’re up against now, Frank. Lying, deception, manipulating the truth! Right here in your own home. Right down in your own basement! A man who claims to be your friend. An ally. Can you believe it? There he was, hovering down there in a corner, plotting your annihilation. I finally got it out of him. Got to the nasty rock bottom of it.
EMMA
: You’re not torturing him, are you? What’re you doing?
WELCH
: Torturing? Torturing! We’re not in a Third World nation here, Emma. This isn’t some dark corner of the Congo. Frank, haven’t you told her about our new platform? Our design for the new century?
EMMA
: (
moving toward stairs
) What are you doing to Mr. Haynes?
WELCH
: Haynes? That’s not his name, Emma. That never was his name. That’s just a cover so he can sneak around and deceive innocent people like you and Frank.
(WELCH punches a button attached to the black cord. HAYNES yells out in pain from below. EMMA runs to top of stairs and looks down.)
EMMA
: Oh, my God! Frank! He’s got him by the penis!
(FRANK stands suddenly on couch, grabbing his own crotch.)
FRANK
: What?
EMMA
: Come and look! He’s got that cord attached to his penis. (
to
WELCH
,
charging him, hitting his shoulders
) You stop that right now! Just stop it!
(WELCH pushes her away roughly, keeps ahold of cord. FRANK keeps standing on couch, holding his crotch.)
WELCH
: Now’s not the time for hysterics, Emma. We just fall into their game plan that way. Isn’t that right, Frank? Isn’t that what we discussed? I’m surprised you haven’t had a chance to talk things over with Emma.
EMMA
: Stop calling me by my name! I hate that!
WELCH
: She needs to get on the same page. Stop acting like some whacked-out subversive. You’ve explained the dangers to her, haven’t you? Frank? The folly of mixed messages?